e Paper

Troubleshooting Guide
For Digital Microwave Radio Links

Revision 1.1, April 2008

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Troubleshooting Guide

Introduction
This document provides guidelines on troubleshooting point-to-point digital microwave radio links. It
is an extract (chapter 9) from the popular Harris Stratex Best Practices Guide.
The guidelines should be read in conjunction with any instructions provided by the equipment
manufacturer and instructions provided with the network management system (where installed).
The following topics are covered:

Preventative Maintenance

Fixing Faults

Diagnostic Tools

Fault Reports

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Preventative Maintenance
This section covers inspection and analysis options, which may help to catch a problem before it
brings down a network. Topics addressed are:

Routine Inspections

Trend Analysis

Fault Analysis

Training

Spares

Routine Inspections
All sites must be inspected annually or more frequently if subject to abnormal operating conditions
such as high winds, salt-spray, or heavy snow and ice loading.
The inspection should cover the physical installation including the antenna, antenna feeder or
IDU/ODU cable, cable grounding, equipment grounding, tower and building grounds,
weatherproofing, lightning surge suppressors where fitted, and general site integrity.
The master ground bar and other selected ground points should be resistance checked and
compared with previous checks to ensure there has been no significant change.
The operational performance of the radio and associated equipment should be checked against their
as-built figures using the available front panel and craft tool status, alarm and performance
indicators, especially so if the equipment is not managed by an NMS (Network Management
System).

Trend Analysis
Use available data to determine any trend that may lead to a failure if allowed to continue. The data
for such analysis is most readily provided by an NMS, which can capture and present data on an
historical basis. But data captured during a routine inspection may also provide valuable trend
insights.
Check for the following trends:

Reducing receive signal level

Gradually increasing bit errors or an increasing errored seconds count

Changes in transmit power

Increased frequency of rain fade or other fade conditions

Increasing occurrence of other weather related changes in performance

Increasing occurrence of a particular hardware failure

Time spent in conducting such analysis is time well spent. Catching a problem before it brings down
the network is good network management.

Fault Analysis
All faults, once cleared, should be the subject of a fault report. The data presented in these reports
should be analyzed from time to time to check for any common threads, which may point to a
particular weakness in the design, installation, or maintenance of the network or to a specific
component or equipment type.
The time taken to restore service and the parts used should also be analyzed to see if improvements
are possible in the maintenance procedures, maintenance training and spares holdings.
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Training
Properly trained and experienced planning and installation personnel are essential for establishing
high integrity in a new network. Similarly, properly trained network management and service
personnel are essential for the continued good health of a network.
Training procedures and courses should be reviewed from time to time to check their relevance and
cost-effectiveness. Similarly, the training needs for personnel should be reviewed to ensure they
maintain expertise in their area of work, and of the installed base.

Spares
Spares holdings should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure the correct quantity and type are
held, and held at the most appropriate locations.
Analysis of spares usage will show any trend for excessive use of spares, which may point to a
weakness in the deployment or design/manufacture of the item.
Spares holdings should also be checked from time to time and if necessary brought up to the current
hardware and/or software revision level.

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Fixing Faults
This section introduces:

Which Link, Which Site, Which Terminal

Before Going to Site

On-Site Checks

Which Link, Which Site, Which Terminal

A well featured network management system will enable fault location down to a module level for
hardware alarms. To separate out essential data, a knowledgeable operator is required to quickly
target the likely fault location and cause.
Only where it is not possible to see a network beyond a full break, and therefore not possible to see
the far end of a link, does it become less certain as to which site carries the faulty equipment, or if it
is an equipment fault as distinct from a full path fade. However, by looking at the events alarm log it
should be possible to narrow down the options.
Where the network or link is only supervised by summary alarm reporting, or no reporting at all, then
fault identification and location will often require a visit to a site or sites to understand what and
where the problem is.
An NMS saves time and money. Network up-time will be higher and servicing costs and
MTTR will be lower than for part supervised or unsupervised networks.

Before Going to Site

Before you go to site, check the following:

Is it a fault which requires immediate attention, or can it wait till the morning, or until you
have completed your present job.

Confirm the nature of the reported fault, its location, the type of equipment, its frequency
band, capacity, modulation and configuration (non-protected, protected, diversity) by asking:
o

Is just one link affected or a number of links in the same geographical area?

Is the path down completely or is only one or a number of tributaries affected?

Is the path down completely or is traffic passing but with a BER alarm?

Is it a hard fault, or is it intermittent in nature?

Do the alarms indicate which end of the link is faulty? Hardware, software or tributary alarms
from an element management system should provide confirmation of the link-end.

Check the weather conditions leading up to the occurrence of the fault. Could the weather
(rain, ice, high wind, temperature, and so on) be a factor in the reported fault.

If the fault suggests a rain fade or other weather related fade condition and it matches the
prevailing weather conditions, do not take any action until the weather abates.

Check to determine if you or another engineer is best placed to attend to the reported fault.
This may be assessed by location, experience, access to spares, and so on.

Check to see if the alarms suggest the fault may be with connected equipment and not the
reported equipment, such as a mux, other radio equipment, or tributary line connections.

Check the terminal / link history:

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Does the fault history for the link indicate a likely cause?

Has there been work done on the link in recent times, and if so, what?

Check that you have with you:

o

The appropriate spares.

The craft tool, the right the software revision to enable the craft tool to communicate
with the equipment, and a connecting cable for craft tool access.

Any password and/or IP address required to secure craft tool access to the
equipment.

Any special test equipment that may be needed.

Toolkit.

Key(s) for access to the site, and if necessary, the directions on how to get there.

Where link alarms and performance monitors do not confirm the source of a fault condition,
such as a dribbling BER reported at some point in the network, always check the alarms of
the connected equipment. Never jump to a conclusion that a radio link is the problem.

On-Site Checks
When first on site check the following before proceeding with a more detailed examination.

Inspect the terminal status and alarm LEDs. Or if provided, its front panel LCD indications.
Check to see if the indications match with the reported fault.

Log on to the terminal with the craft tool for a more detailed analysis of terminal/link status
and alarms. If the terminal holds a message page for user entry of service notes, check to
see if any fault-relevant notes exist.

Subsequent action must be guided by the nature of the fault.

Order of Investigation
Where there are a multitude of alarms, as may occur in many fault situations, always begin with the
basics. For instance, do not start to replace equipment or modules without first checking why there is
a supply voltage alarm, or investigate a receiver if the far end transmitter is in alarm.
Table 1. Suggested Order of Alarm Investigation
Step

Alarm Type

Description

Supply voltage alarm

Check that the power supply voltage is within the required range for
the equipment.

Hardware alarms

Check specific hardware alarms, which may point to a component

failure. If a tributary fault is indicated, check the related cables and
connectors, and the alarm status of the connected equipment.

Software alarms

Check for software corruption and terminal configuration alarms.

Performance/path alarms

Check Tx power, Rx signal level, and G.826 path performance data.

Outside installation

Inspect the feeder or IDU/ODU cable, connectors, lightning surge

suppressor(s), and antenna.

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Indirectly Detected and Undetected Faults

This refers to faults that go undetected by equipment alarm monitors or faults indicated by a module
that is not the source of the fault. Clearance requires a process of elimination based on experience,
knowledge of the equipment, and sound troubleshooting logic.
For example, a noisy receiver local oscillator may cause a high BER condition and possibly a demux
alarm. The first approach may be to replace the demux module, but it would not be until the RF
module was replaced that the problem would be resolved.
Similarly, incompatible optical signal levels into or out of a link may cause a dribbling BER, which on
first analysis may indicate a fault within the radio.
Isolation of this type of problem is assisted by careful observation of alarm indications and historical
data.

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Diagnostic Tools
This section describes the following diagnostic tools and processes:

Loopbacks

Fade Margin

Tx Power Measurement

Feeder Return Loss

Interference Measurement

Bench Testing

Loopbacks
Loopback tests are useful in helping to determine the location of a system malfunction, especially if
link alarm and performance data provide no clear indication of fault location. Loopbacks are used in
conjunction with a BER test-set or built-in BER test capability to determine the points within a link at
which normal (un-errored) operation ceases and errored operation begins, with the section between
normal and errored operation denoting where the fault lies.

Some radios have a built-in pseudo-random BER generator and receiver. For radios not
fitted with this feature, an external BER test-set is required.

Most radios provide capabilities to apply a loopback at the tributary, baseband (digital), IF and RF
stages. Figure 1 shows typical loopback points for a split-mount link. Table 2 provides a brief
explanation of each loopback.
Figure 1. Example Loopback Settings with an External BER Test-Set

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Table 2. Loopback Types and Applications

Legend

Loopback

Applications

Line facing LIU

Selected per tributary to check the tributary cables and the line
interface unit (LIU) of the terminal.

Line facing tributary

Checks the selected tributary circuit prior to the traffic payload mux.

Line facing baseband

Provides a loopback at the digital baseband after the traffic payload

mux. Loops all traffic.

Line facing IF

Provides a loopback on the IF side of the modulator/demodulator.

Loops all traffic.

Line facing RF

Provides a loopback prior to the antenna feed point.

Typically an RF loopback is enabled by setting the Rx to the same
frequency as the Tx and using leakage across the diplexer to
provide the receive input signal needed. At the same time the Tx at
the remote end must be disabled. Another solution is to incorporate
a built-in mixer just prior to the feeder flange to provide the required
Tx to Rx coupling, which is especially relevant where high diplexer
isolation prevents use of the former technique.

The RF loopback enables a complete check of a terminal,

from the tributary input, to the diplexer, and back to the
tributary output.

Use in conjunction with an IF loopback to confirm a

problem in the RF transceiver, or for a split-mount radio, in
the ODU or IDU/ODU cable.

Some split-mount radios may also incorporate a loopback

within the IDU/ODU cable interface at the ODU to provide
a separate cable check.

Additional loopbacks within an ODU would not normally be

provided unless the ODU houses separate field
replaceable units.

Radio facing baseband

Provides a digital baseband loopback on the remote radio. Loops

all traffic.
A remote loopback provides a check of the local radio, the radio
path, and the remote radio up to the point of loopback.

Radio facing tributary or

LIU

Sets a loopback on a selected remote tributary to provide a

complete end-to-end link tributary check.

Loopback Guidelines

Use loopback tests where a terminal is faulty and it is unclear where the fault is, based on
front panel or craft tool alarm indications. Begin with the loop point closest to the BER tester,
such as the tributary loopback, and work towards the RF loopback. The circuit between an
OK loopback test and an errored or failed test is where the fault lies. Check the user manual
to determine which cables and/or modules require checking, repair or replacement.

Where a link is faulty, but still passing traffic, loopback checks can extend to the remote
terminal.

Where a network management system has control of tributary loopbacks and built-in trib
BER testing, tests can be conducted across multiple links. This is especially useful in
helping to locate the source of dribbling errors on a multi-hop circuit.

When a loopback is applied it generally allows the outgoing signal to continue unless the
radio has an auto AIS insert capability. Otherwise only the receive circuit is broken. Refer to
Figure 2 below.

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Figure 2. Typical Line Facing Loopback

Where an AIS (Alarm Information Signal) is inserted it replaces the BER signal (or other
signals) on the tributary outputs to indicate to the connected equipment that a diagnostic
(alarm) mode has been applied to the alarmed circuit(s).
o

Where a radio has no internal BER generator/measurement function, the autoinserted AIS would normally only appear at the remote radio tributary output(s).

Where a radio has an internal BER generator/measurement function, the autoinserted AIS may appear on both the local radio and remote radio tributary outputs.
Check manufacturers data for details.

When a loopback is applied, traffic is disrupted. For an LIU or tributary loopback, only the
traffic on the selected tributary will be affected. For other loopbacks all traffic over the link
will be affected.

When a loopback is set, the radio should indicate on its front panel status indicators and in
its alarm event log that a diagnostic mode has been selected.

When checking a protected link, both ends of the link must be forced into the required A-side
or B-side configuration, or combination thereof. This particularly applies to IF and RF
loopbacks which if applied will cause a protection switch event.

Loopbacks are normally provided with a time-out, meaning a loopback will be removed after
a user-set time-out period. This feature is provided to ensure that normal operation will be
returned in the event it is forgotten, or in the event an incorrect choice of loopback on a
remote radio drops the path and therefore access to the remote radio.

When to Apply a Loopback Test

If traffic is errored and it is unclear if the problem is within the equipment or if it is path related, check
the following before applying a loopback test:

If both ends of the link are displaying a low RSL, the Tx power is normal at both ends, and
there are no equipment alarms, then a path fade is indicated. Applying a loopback test is of
little value except to confirm normal local radio operation via an RF loopback.

If only one end is displaying an abnormal RSL then an equipment related problem is
indicated. Check the Tx power at the remote end, and Rx performance and Rx alarms at the
local end.

Fade Margin
A fade margin measurement provides an overall performance check of a link. As a troubleshooting
aid the measured fade margin can be compared with the as-built (commissioning) figure to indicate
current link health.
The fade margin test measures the difference in receive signal level between the normal, operational
level, and the threshold level, the level at which bit errors appear. The threshold level can be
specified for a bit error rate (BER) of 10-3 or 10-6.

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The procedure requires the Tx power at one end of the link to be lowered to a point where receiver
errors begin to appear at the other, as indicated by the 10-3 or 10-6 Rx threshold alarms, which may
be read from the internal G.826 performance data, or from an external BER test-set in conjunction
with a remote loopback.
The dB reduction in Tx power required should match the expected dB fade margin. This may require
attenuation beyond the software adjustment limits for Tx power provided in the radio, in which case
external attenuators will be required. This may be possible for an all-indoor radio, but not for a splitmount installation.
When comparing the current fade margin with the as-built figure, ensure the prevailing
weather conditions are similar to those at the time of commissioning and that the same
check procedure is used.

Fade Margin Computation

Figure 3 shows how the path gains and losses relate, beginning with the transmitter at the left and
moving across to the receiver to the right. In this example the expected 10-3 fade margin of 28dB can
be verified by reducing the Tx power by the same dB value, at which point the onset of 10-3 errors
should be apparent for a link where there has been no change in performance. However, the
measurement accuracy is highly dependent on the accuracy to which the Tx power can be set, and
the receive threshold established. An overall accuracy of 3dB to 4dB is typical.
The expected fade margin may be sourced from the commissioning as-built records, or from the
path planning data for the link.
Figure 3. Link Gains and Losses

If the measured fade margin is significantly lower than the as-built margin, the reasons for this can
include:

Equipment performance has reduced, which may be at either the transmit or receive end.

Path conditions have changed (weather related or new obstacles).

One or both antennas have moved out of alignment.

Problem with one or both antenna feeders, such a water entry into connectors.

Interference from transmitters installed in the same geographical area.

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Tx Power Measurement
Where the transmitter output is suspect, a measurement of Tx power is required.
For split-mount radios, unless the ODU has a built-in measurement capability, in-situ measurement
of Tx power is not possible. The ODU must be removed to a service center equipped with a test
bench for the radio.
For all-indoor radios, field measurement is possible where access to the feeder permits insertion of
an attenuator to allow connection of a power meter, or the insertion of a directional coupler to enable
measurement of both forward and reverse power. Otherwise, the transmitter or transceiver section of
the radio must be returned to a service center.

Feeder Return Loss

Where feeders for all-indoor radios are suspect, a return loss measurement is recommended. The
measurement should be at the radio attachment point to include the complete feeder run and
antenna.
Where return loss measurements were captured in the commissioning as-built records,
measurement comparison will confirm the integrity of the feeder and antenna installation.
The most complete and convenient measurement solution is provided by a handheld, battery
operated, microwave transmission line analyzer, which includes measurement of return loss, feeder
loss and distance to fault (discontinuity). An optional power meter for power measurement is
available with some instruments.
Other solutions for return loss measurement include a network analyzer, or a power meter in
conjunction with a directional coupler.

Interference Measurement
Where interference is the suspected cause of link errors, a quick and simple check is to turn the farend transmitter off and measure the local end RSSI/RSL. This is a very broad-brush check, as the
pass-band associated with the RSSI filter is normally quite wide, for example it may have a 3dB
bandwidth of 50+ MHz, which means that depending on the channel bandwidth configured, multiple
adjacent channels can be included within the filter pass-band. So there is potential for the RSSI to
indicate the presence of an interferer, but if it is several channels away it is most unlikely to be
affecting your link.
RSSI/RSL with the far end transmitter off should be captured at commissioning so it is available for
comparison at a later date when interference is suspected.
To accurately check for interfering signals a spectrum analyzer is required. For an all-indoor radio it
can be connected it to its antenna feeder, but for a split-mount radio, connection is normally a
difficult tower-top process.

For a split-mount installation, the ODU must be removed to gain access to the antenna port,
and a flexible waveguide or waveguide-to-coax transition used to connect to a batterypowered analyzer.

It is generally not practical to use the ODU/IDU cable to bring the RF signal down to the
building (using a waveguide-to-coax transition at the ODU). The RG-8 style coax typically
used is not suitable for frequencies above about 2.5 GHz.

The analyzer check for interference should extend to 1st and 2nd adjacent channels on both sides of
the link receive channel. The remote transmitter must be switched off for the duration of the test,
except to provide a reference level measurement of the wanted signal. A comparison of the wanted
signal to the level and frequency of the interfering signal or signals will assist analysis of the source
of interference and corroboration of witnessed operational interference to the link.
Refer to the following section on co and adjacent channel interference for guidance on how to
determine the significance of an observed interfering signal.

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Co-Channel and Adjacent Channel Interference

The co-channel and adjacent channel figures for the link provide a guide to the required suppression
of interference to achieve the receive performance specified for the radio in the presence of
interfering signals.
If the interferer is within the same frequency channel as the received signal, it is referred to as cochannel interference. If the interferer is of a level comparable to or larger than the wanted signal,
then the interferer will dominate and the link will fail.
If the interferer is close to the received signal, but not co-channel, it is referred to as adjacent
channel interference. If the interferer is one channel spacing away, it is referred to as a first adjacent
channel interferer. At this spacing the receiver is far more tolerant to interference, and can cope with
much larger interference levels.
The level of interference that a radio can tolerate for co-channel or adjacent channel interference is
specified as a C/I value (carrier to interferer ratio), or as W/U (wanted to unwanted), which are the
same and are measured in dB. ETSI define the criteria for the measurement as the level of interferer
that will degrade the bit error rate of an operational link running at 1x10-6 BER by one order of
magnitude to 1x10-5 BER. The limits for radios of different data rates are identical, varying only with
the modulation of the radio. Example co-channel and adjacent channel figures for a radio with QPSK
and 16QAM modulation options are shown in the table below.
Table 3. Example Co-Channel and Adjacent Channel Figures
Modulation type

Co-channel C/I

1st adj. channel C/I

2nd adj. channel C/I

QPSK

23dB

0dB

-25dB

16QAM

30dB

0dB

-25dB

In this example, if the link was set to operate in QPSK mode at its 10-6 receive threshold (say -80
dBm), a C/I of 23dB means that the carrier should be 23dB greater than the interferer, meaning that
if the interferer is lower or equal to -103 dBm (1.6uV for a 50 ohm system), then the link will be
operating no worse than 10-5 BER.
Similarly, for the 1st adjacent channel a C/I of 0 dB can be tolerated, meaning that if the interferer is
lower than or equal to 0dB (up to the same signal level as the carrier), then the link will be operating
no worse than 10-5 BER.
For the 2nd adjacent channel a C/I of -25dB can be tolerated, meaning that an interferer up to 25dB
larger than the wanted signal can be tolerated.
In practice, proper path planning and antenna polarization should ensure that there are no significant
interferers within the co and 1st adjacent channels.

Interference Rejection Factor (IRF)

The Interference Rejection Factor (IRF) is the amount of interference a link can tolerate from an
interfering signal but differs from co and adjacent channel measurements in two respects:

IRF describes the interference between signals of different channel bandwidths and offsets.

IRF is given relative to the co-channel interference level (co-channel C/I).

The IRF differs for different modulation signals, such as QPSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM. Table 4 shows
the IRF for a QPSK or 16QAM link being interfered with by interferers with bandwidths ranging from
0.5 MHz to 7 MHz, and at offset frequencies ranging from 0 MHz to 14 MHz.

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Table 4. Example IRF Table

Signal
Ch BW

Interferer
BW

3.5MHz

7MHz

Frequency 1
0MHz

0.5MHz

1MHz

2MHz

3.5MHz

7MHz

14MHz

0.5MHz

15

50

>60

>60

1MHz

45

>60

>60

2MHz

40

>60

>60

3.5MHz

30

50

>60

7MHz

40

>60

0.5MHz

25

55

>60

1MHz

15

50

>60

2MHz

45

>60

3.5MHz

40

>60

7MHz

30

50

1. The figures below the frequency columns are in dB and reflect the level of interference relative to the co-channel C/I figure
that the radio can tolerate before the onset of BER degradation.

For example, what level of interference can be tolerated by a 4xE1 16QAM radio operating in
the presence of a 1 MHz wide interferer located 2 MHz away?
The link channel is 3.5 MHz wide (4xE1 and 16QAM).
Table 4 shows that with a 1 MHz bandwidth interferer centered 2 MHz away, the link has an IRF of
3dB. This means that the interferer can be up to 3dB higher in level than the co-channel C/I figure for
the link, before BER degradation becomes noticeable.
From Table 3 on page 12 the co-channel C/I ratio for 16QAM modulation is 30dB (interferer must be
no higher than 30dB below the link signal level) therefore, in this example, the 1 MHz wide interferer
2 MHz away must be no higher than 27dB below the link signal level.

Bench Testing
Bench testing refers to testing a radio at a service center using test jigs and test instruments
recommended by the equipment manufacturer. It especially applies to split-mount radios to support
off-site IDU and ODU terminal and link testing.
Bench testing can be used to:

Pre-configure and test a link before it goes into service.

Test suspected faulty equipment or equipment modules returned from the field to confirm a
fault, or no-fault-found.

Test spares and repaired items before they are put into service.

Upgrade spares and repaired items to the latest SW build level before they are put into
service.

A typical bench for a split-mount link would include:

Mechanical supports for two ODUs.

Fixed and variable waveguide attenuators and short sections of flexible waveguide to
simulate the link path.

IDU/ODU cables.

Tributary cables.

Power supply.
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The test equipment typically required to support such a bench includes:

The craft tool for the radio.

BER test-set.

Power meter.

Spectrum analyzer.

For network operators with a medium to large investment in a particular radio, such a bench has real
value at the network roll-out phase and in the subsequent management of service returns from the
field, and of repaired items returned from the manufacturer. It also provides an ideal training facility
for installation and service engineers.

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Fault Reports
Good fault reporting and report management is essential for cost efficient management of the
network, the spares holdings, and of the service team.
The reports should include:

Date and time of fault notification.

Time of arrival at site.

A listing of front panel alarm and status indications.

What was checked to confirm the suspected fault.

What work was done to fix the fault.

What spares were used by type and serial number.

Time of service restoration.

What items were returned to base for repair by type and serial number.

A field in which relevant comments on the equipment or the site can be entered.

Fault reports should be reviewed by service management and as appropriate used to provide:

Details of the fault found to accompany items returned to the manufacturer or their service
agent for repair.

Trend analysis. Is there a pattern of common faults, which suggests either a weakness in
the equipment, the way in which it has been installed, or perhaps a problem with the initial
path planning, such as an inadequate rain-fade margin.

Spares holdings. Are they adequate and held at the best locations for access. Are they
excessive and if so can the excess be transferred to installation stock.

Do the reports indicate areas where preventative maintenance may provide service benefits.

Do the reports indicate any weakness in the initial operations center identification of a fault,
its location, and the information sent to the service engineers.

Do the reports indicate any weakness in the training provided to service engineers, or in the
sharing of relevant service data captured on-the-job.

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