Using Mentum Planet

for LTE

for version 5.0

Welcome to the Mentum Planet 5 LTE Training Course. During the course of the
class, you will learn how to maximize your use of Mentum Planet and take
advantage of the many features available to you. This class is the second in the
Mentum Planet. It is assumed you have completed the MP501 class.

Course
Objective:

Duration:

By the end of the MP5 series of classes, you will be able to use Mentum
Planet to complete LTE network planning and optimization tasks.
1.5 days

Prerequisite
Knowledge: You should be able to:

Use a computer and a mouse.

Use standard Windows functionality such as browsing, copy and paste
as well as how to access shortcut menus.
Use basic Microsoft Excel functions.
Use basic MapInfo functions (not required, but strongly recommended).

You should also have an understanding of basic RF concepts and the LTE technology.

Since some discussions about Mentum Planet can consume class time, your instructor will
create a parking lot of discussion topics to address at a later time. Your questions are
important, and your instructor is committed to addressing them appropriately.
The activities you will complete as part of this class use a sample project and dataset. The
dataset is for a fictitious city, named Glenville Springs. The dataset includes:

High resolution geodata (heights and clutter)

High-resolution
Major and minor street vectors
Sites modeled for best coverage and interference reduction

Your involvement in class is critical for you and others to benefit most from this course.
Please maintain the appropriate classroom etiquette.

When you obtained your Mentum Planet license, you also gained access to multiple
sources of help. You can find help about using Mentum Planet features from:

Mentum Planet User Guides, Application Notes, and Technical Notes

Context-sensitive online Help with direct access to the Customer Care
Knowledge Base
Customer Care Self-Serve Portal
The Customer Care Centers
Centers, a staff of experts in Mentum Planet use
use.

The MapInfo Professional User Guide and the MapInfo Release Notes are also available in
the User Guides folder. The MapInfo online Help system can be accessed by choosing Help
h Help Topics h MapInfo.
MapInfo functionality, however, is not part of the Mentum Planet online Help system and
must be searched separately.

The workflow you follow will depend on your requirements and your work practices. The
workflow illustrated is intended to be a general high-level workflow. Steps in the workflow
covered in this class are displayed in yellow.

The MP501 class is part of the Mentum Planet curriculum and is intended to be followed by
the MP502 class, which covers steps 11 to 20 of the workflow. Time permitting, the MP502
class will also cover how to customize Mentum Planet using extensions.

Traffic maps provide data about the geographical distribution of subscriber traffic in
a network. You can generate a traffic map from demographic data, such as
population census data, or from network data.
When planning a network, you can use demographic data to estimate subscriber
numbers. The variation in subscriber density across the network coverage area is
likely to be similar to the variation in population density. When optimizing an
existing network, you can base your traffic map on network data that reflects the
actual usage patterns in the network.
To create a traffic map
1. In the Project Explorer, in the Operation Data category, right-click Traffic Maps
and choose New.

For more information, see Working with Traffic Maps in the Mentum Planet User

Guide.

Using the Network Data Import Wizard, you can import data collected from network
switching equipment, which contains information about the network configuration and
performance. Using network data gives you the opportunity to get an up-to-date picture of
how the network is performing.

The Wizard takes you through the steps required to create a connection between
the data gathered by the switches and the sectors in your project. You can bind
network
t
k data
d t on any field
fi ld associated
i t d with
ith a sector
t provided
id d th
thatt th
the fi
field
ld iis unique.
i
Before you can create a traffic map from network data, you must generate signal
strength predictions for the sectors specified in the network data.
You can display the network data in a Map window and generate a report.
Because subscribers use services differently in different places
places, you must create a
traffic map for each service type. Traffic maps help the simulation tool determine
where to place subscribers.

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In order to create a realistic model of network performance, you need to have a

good understanding of who your subscribers are, where they are located, and how
they use the services available to them. You then need to translate these subscriber
profiles into subscriber types that Mentum Planet can use to model subscribers and
their use of network resources. To make this task easy for you, the characteristics of
subscribers are defined using the nodes in the Subscriber Editor. Subscriber types
are used in Monte Carlo simulations where in the first phase of the simulation
Mentum Planet spreads subscribers across the analysis area.

For more information, see Defining LTE Subscribers in the LTE User Guide.

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When you generate a Monte Carlo analysis, Mentum Planet will spread subscribers within
clutter classes using the environment settings you define in the Environment Editor. The
environment settings enable Mentum Planet to delineate what percentage of users are in
vehicles, outdoors, indoors, or deep indoors within a particular clutter class.
When you generate a Network analysis, you need to define a specific environment type to
be used between outdoor, vehicular, indoor or deep indoor. Mentum Planet will include
the slow fading standard deviation
deviation, penetration loss and fast fading margin corresponding
to the environment you have selected
By default, Mentum Planet will base the environment file on the primary (project) clutter
file. You can, however, specify that environment settings be based on a user-defined clutter
file. You do this in the Project Settings dialog box.

To specify a clutter file for environment settings

1. Edit h Project Settings.
2. Click the Advanced Options tab.
3. In the Environment section, choose one of the following options:
Use Primary Clutter Grid
Use User-Defined Grid

To define environment settings

1. Choose Edit h Environments.

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By generating and examining the outputs, you can estimate the coverage, quality, and
capacity of your LTE network.
Scheduler algorithm will impact the analyses for throughput

13

In Mentum Planet 5.0, you can generate a network analysis with nothing more than the
equipment
i
type d
defined
fi d iin the
h subscriber
b ib settings.
i
This
hi d
decreases the
h time
i
required
i d to
prepare for a network analysis and results in less time being required to generate the
analysis layers; however, this type of analysis does not generate detailed subscriber
information. The analysis runs only once and generates analysis layers automatically.
Network analyses are useful when:

You do not have the time to generate sometimes lengthy Monte Carlo
simulations.
simulations
You are looking for a simplified network analysis using equipment type
settings that will give you a quick and easy overview of network
performance.
You are using uniform sector loading or sector loading information from the
switch.
You are creating scenario-based analyses with different network loading
assumptions.
You are focused on initial network coverage planning and interference
analysis.

To streamline your workflow when you use the same settings for a number of analyses, you can
define default analysis settings.
To generate a network analysis
1. In the Project Explorer, in the Network Analyses category, right-click LTE Analyses and choose
New.
2. Right-click the analysis node youve just created and choose Generate.

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To perform LTE network analysis, Mentum Planet will need to identify the best serving sectors. Two
options
ti
are available:
il bl

Best server sector is selected based on the best reference signal strength
(min reference signal strength threshold can be defined)
Best server sector is selected based on the best reference signal C/(N+I)

The user shall enter Reference Signal Receive Quality (RSRQ) representing the min signal to
interference at which the receive signal quality is considered to be good.
For interference calculation, Mentum Planet uses a probability of collision (PoC) weighting. PoC is
deduced from the downlink load (Sector setting) and the probability of collision vs. downlink load
curve entered by the user in the network analysis settings.
Interference coordination is also taken into account when the frequency band supports it. In such a
case, each bin is identified to be in the inner cell or outer cell according to the reference signal
C/(N+I). If the reference signal C/(N+I) is above the Inner cell RSRQ threshold (sector settings), the
bin is in the inner cell. Otherwise, the bin is the outer cell. Interference coordination is used to
reduce the amount of interference received from the other cells.
For interference coordination , two interference scheduling methods can be used during the
interference analysis:
Basicoptimizes resource allocations through minimal interaction between eNodeBs.
Advancedoptimizes resource allocations through fast and comprehensive communication
between eNodeBs. As a result,, the Advanced scheduler reduces more efficientlyy the amount of
downlink interference. The advanced scheduler will make sure that the resource elements of the
most interfering sectors are different from those used by the best server (as much as possible).
External source of interference can also be included during the analysis, using a grid file. The user
must enter a center frequency and a bandwidth value for the source of interference. The
interference value provided by the external grid is weighted by the overlap ratio between the
source of interference and the LTE carrier. Mentum Planet assumes a perfect (square) reception
filter at the UE level and that the source of interference is transmitting with a perfect (square)

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To streamline your workflow when you use the same settings for a number of
analyses, you can define default analysis settings.
To view network analysis results
1. In the Project Explorer, in the Network Analyses category, right-click an analysis layer
and choose View.
For more information, see Generating LTE Analyses in the LTE User Guide. For a
description of all analysis layers available, see Common LTE Analysis Layers and CarrierSpecific LTE Analysis Layers in the online Help.

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Sometimes, you need to modify the original grid in order for work to progress more
efficiently. For example, if you have a grid that covers a geographically large city, but
you need to generate a network analysis for only a small area of that city, you can
trim the city grid, and create a new grid containing only the relevant area. This is
useful when you want to focus an analysis on a particular area. Trimming a grid also
reduces the size of a file and, therefore, the time it takes to open a project.
To trim a grid
1. Using the Polygon tool, draw a polygon around the area upon which you want to
focus.
2. In the Map window, select the area.
3. In the Grid Manager, choose Tools h Trimmer.
For more information, see Working with the Grid Manager, in the Grid Analysis
User Guide.

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Once you have generated network analysis grids, you can use the grid analysis tools
available to obtain a more complete picture of what is happening in the network. For
example, you can use:

The Grid Info tool to query and return grid values from selected

locations in the grid file and view the results in a Grid Info dialog box

The Grid Manager Info feature

For more information, see Working with the Grid Manager in the Grid Analysis User
Guide.

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In Mentum Planet, there are many ways to obtain information about grids. From the Grid
Manager, you can access the Inspection tools and the Grid Calculator. You can also create
grid queries.
You can use these tools to solve problems that are difficult to answer using only

vector representations of geographic information. For example, Is that group of

buildings visible from this tower?.
You can also use the Grid Manager Calculator to apply mathematical functions to grid files.

The grid calculator is designed to look and operate like a scientific calculator,
applying mathematical expressions to one or more grids. Calculations are
performed on a bin-by-bin basis for each grid entered in the expression. Generally,
this function is used to prepare data for other types of analysis. For example, you
can use the grid calculator to produce a composite field strength grid from a series
of transmitters relating to one site. This would provide an average value coverage
grid for the whole serving area.
For more information, see Working with the Grid Manager in the Grid Analysis
User Guide.

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How a signal travels over the terrain and is attenuated by obstructions within the
Fresnel zone can have important ramifications on the overall performance of your
network. You can visualize the path the signal is taking using the Point-to-Point
dialog box. You can customize the look and feel of the graph window displayed in
the Point-to-Point Profile dialog box and display a legend if required.

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Unlike a network analysis, a Monte Carlo simulation takes all subscriber parameters into
account when generating simulation layers
layers. To do this
this, at each Monte Carlo run
run, Mentum
Planet:

Creates a random pattern of subscribers. The simulation places the

subscribers at random locations using the traffic map densities, and
determines the subscriber types from the definitions in the Subscriber
Settings Editor.
Generates uplink analyses. This uses the random subscriber pattern to
determine the number of subscribers that can be served,
served while taking into
account the impact of each served subscriber on the network.
Generates downlink analyses. To do this, the simulation uses the best
serving sector information determined in the uplink analysis. On the last run
of the simulation, the simulation tool also generates two additional types of
data:

Operating points These are the results of the simulation divided

by sector, carrier, and subscriber type. Mentum Planet averages
these and uses them to create analysis layers.

Discrete subscriber informationMentum Planet compiles

snapshots of each subscribers status on each run of the simulation.
When the simulation finishes, the coverage status of each
subscriber is stored in a MapInfo table (*.tab).

To generate a Monte Carlo Simulation

1. In the Project
j Explorer,
p
in the Monte Carlo Simulation category,
g y right-click
g
LTE
Simulation, and choose New.

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Comprehens
When Site/sectors information is present, reports can be used to create a specific sector
display scheme to display simulations data

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The Mentum Planet toolset includes many features that facilitate post-processing of
analysis data. One of these tools is the Layer Statistics Analysis feature. By examining

simulation results in detail, you can better evaluate the accuracy of the simulation
results and, if necessary make adjustments to the project.

To generate layer statistics

1. In the Project Explorer, in the Network Analyses category, right-click an analysis layer,
and choose Statistics.

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After you have calculated layer statistics, you can examine the detailed statistics in the
Report Preview. You can then export the statistics to Excel where you can use the advanced
visualization features to create charts or further analyze the data. If the layer you are
analyzing includes site and sector information, you can create a sector display scheme that
will only be applied to sectors with statistical data.
You can also drill down on site information by clicking the hyperlink for the individual site.
This opens the Site Editor where you can review site and sector parameters
parameters.

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An interference matrix quantifies how a sector affects every other sector within its
prediction distance, in terms of area and traffic. It can provide early visibility of
problem areas and is a required input for some tools (e.g., neighbor lists). In
Mentum Planet 5.0, you can only generate a histogram interference matrix, which is
based on signal strength predictions (from the propagation model and/or drive test
data). It compares C/I values on a bin-by-bin basis using the best server area that is
independent of the current serving area. During the histogram generation process,
a weighting value is assigned to non best serving areas.
Histogram interference matrices account for C/I only at the ground level and do not
account for mobile use in buildings. Further, the histogram generation process
approximates subscriber traffic locations, unless it is based on a traffic map.
To create an interference matrix
1. In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, right-click Interference Matrices, and
choose Statistics.
For more information, see Working with Interference Matrices in the Mentum Planet
User Guide.
Guide

25

Because sector relationships impact quality and coverage, the details contained in a
neighbor list can provide important information about how sites and sectors influence each
other. Once you have generated a neighbor list, you can view neighbor relationships
graphically in the Map window.
You can create multiple neighbor lists for different areas and then compare them or merge
them together.

To create a neighbor list

1. In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, right-click Neighbor Lists, and choose
New.

For more information, see Working with Neighbor Lists in the Mentum Planet User Guide.

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The Universal Model from Orange Labs is available in Mentum

Planet 5. UM is an advanced propagation model with the
following key advantages:

Multiple system compliant DVB-H, GSM, EDGE, GPRS,

UMTS, WIFI, WIMAX, LTE

Supports any kind of cell type: Micro-cells, mini-cells,

smalls-cells
ll
ll and
d macro-cells
ll

Supports any kind of environments: Dense urban, urban,

suburban, open, seaside, mountainous

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Visualizing network coverage is key to understanding where problems exist in your

network. Bringing this information together in a meaningful format is important because
many groups within an organization are involved in network deployment and optimization.

Mentum Planet enables you to produce many different types of maps, including
coverage maps. Once you have generated output grids, you can organize the grids in
a report, which you can print. To do this, you use the Layout features available in
MapInfo Professional.
To create a print layout
1. Open each file that you want to include in the layout in the Map window.
2. Choose Window h New Layout Window.
3. In the New Window Layout dialog box, choose one of the frame options, and
click
li k OK.
OK

For more information, see Generating Reports in the Mentum Planet User Guide
or Opening a Map in a Layout Window in the MapInfo Professional User Guide.

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Mentum Planet 5 supports the display a snapshot of any Planet map window in Microsoft
Virtual Earth.
The snapshot includes:
Visible layers in the map window
Raster and vectors
Sites and sectors
Sites are displayed as icons
Sectors are displayed as shapes representing their beam width, azimuth, and
sector display scheme
A live internet connection is required as the Virtual Earth map control must be accessed
through the internet, as well as for their tiles/imagery.

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You can customize Mentum Planet in order to facilitate your everyday work. For example,
you could add a command to the Tools menu in Mentum Planet to open a commonly-used
reference file or display a web page containing useful information.
Using the Extension Manager, you add and organize Planet extension (.pex) files. A .pex file
is a zipped folder with a .pex extension. The .pex file must contain the source files along
with a structured .xml file.
For more information, see the Customizing Mentum Planet Using Extensions Application
Note and Customizing Mentum Planet Using the Extension Manager in the Mentum
Planet User Guide. Both are available in the Help folder within the Mentum Planet
installation folder.

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