Altaro User Manual

User Manual
Altaro automated radio access

network optimisation solution
Altaro Version 3.1
User Manual
Altaro 3.1.3 Build 35 and Later
Manual release 2 March 2006

Contents I
Table of Contents
Part 1 Introduction to Altaro 3
1 Copyright ....................................................................................................... 3
2 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 4
3 The Product ....................................................................................................... 5
Part 2 Getting Started 8

1 In the Product.......................................................................................................
Pack 8
2 Installation Process
....................................................................................................... 9
3 System Requirements
....................................................................................................... 10
4 Trouble Shooting Installation
....................................................................................................... 12
5 Getting Help ....................................................................................................... 13
6 Technical Support
....................................................................................................... 14
Part 3 The Altaro Environment 16

1 Environment .......................................................................................................
Overview 17
2 Manipulating .......................................................................................................
the Environment 18
3 Start Page Document
....................................................................................................... 20
4 Map Document
....................................................................................................... 21
5 Table Document
....................................................................................................... 48
6 Results Document
....................................................................................................... 62
7 Toolbars ....................................................................................................... 64
Part 4 Setting up a Project 72

1 New Project ....................................................................................................... 73
2 Project Preferences
....................................................................................................... 74
3 Import ....................................................................................................... 78
4 Setting up Services
....................................................................................................... 93
5 Setting Up Height
....................................................................................................... 95
6 Setting up Regions
....................................................................................................... 96
7 Setting up Antenna Types
....................................................................................................... 98
Part 5 Altaro Optimisation 102

1 Optimiser Configuration
....................................................................................................... 103
2 Constraints ....................................................................................................... 113
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Altaro 3.1.3 Build 35 and Later
3 Running Altaro Optimisation

....................................................................................................... 125
4 Examining the Results
....................................................................................................... 144
Part 6 Delfino Measurement Visualisation 166

1 Importing Measurements
....................................................................................................... 167
2 Measurement Results
....................................................................................................... 171
3 Complete Route Data
....................................................................................................... 172
4 Specfic Cell .......................................................................................................
Route Data 173
5 Best Server .......................................................................................................
Plots 177
6 Measurement Report
....................................................................................................... 178
7 Spider Tool ....................................................................................................... 183
Part 7 File Formats 186

1 TIF, TIFW ....................................................................................................... 186
2 ESRI ACSII Raster
....................................................................................................... 188
Part 8 Technical Reference 190

1 KPI Weights.......................................................................................................
Discussion 190
2 How Measurements are Used
....................................................................................................... 192
3 Defining Activity Factors
....................................................................................................... 193
4 Optimisation.......................................................................................................
Algorithm 194
5 Admission Control
....................................................................................................... 195
6 Soft/Softer Handoff
....................................................................................................... 196
7 Mobile Failure
....................................................................................................... 197
8 GoS Statistic.......................................................................................................
Calculation 198
9 Calculation of Coverage Statistics
....................................................................................................... 199
Index 201
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Part
Introduction to Altaro
1
Introduction to Altaro 3
1 Introduction to Altaro
1.1 Copyright
Altaro is a recognized trademark of Arieso Ltd.
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Office, Windows®, Window 95™, Window 98™, Windows NT®,
Windows XP, Windows Server 2000, Windows Server 2003
and MS-DOS™ are trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.
Odyssey and Quantum are recognised trademarks of Andrew Corp.
Asset3g and Enterprise are recognised trademarks of AirCom International.
Wizard is a recognised trademark of Optimi Inc.
Planet and Planet EV are recognised trademarks of Marconi Ltd
Other product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
This documentation is protected by copyright and contains proprietary and confidential information.
No part of the contents of this documentation may be disclosed, used or reproduced in any form,
or by any means, without the prior written consent of ARIESO Ltd.
Although Arieso has collated this documentation to reflect the features and capabilities supported
in the software products, the company makes no warranty or representation, either express or
implied, about this documentation, its quality or fitness for a particular customer purpose. Users
are solely responsible for the proper use of ALTARO and the application of the results obtained.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4 Altaro 3.1.3 Build 35 and Later
1.2 Introduction
The perfect network design is beyond realistic human capability, a small city exhibits more
possible network configurations than the number of atoms in the universe.
For us engineers to design the best solution manually would take incredible skill, exceptional
ability, in-ordinate amounts of time and a fair degree of luck. Couple that with the constant
demands of meeting roll-out numbers, factoring in new sites coming live at all times and other
situations beyond our control makes designing radio networks an incredibly difficult task.
This is where Altaro helps. Using proprietary algorithms Altaro is able to factor in all of the
variables simultaneously which manually we just could not have considered. Altaro also reduces
the process of continual adjustment and drive test since it can take into account multiple changes
on multiple sites simultaneously. Taking this approach means that the whole roll-out and
optimisation process becomes far quicker and easier for the engineers and far less costly for those
holding the budgets.
Altaro is a unique product which factors in coverage, capacity, quality and cost simultaneously to
give the best overall network design in a fraction of the time it would take an engineering team to
achieve.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Introduction to Altaro 5
1.3 The Product

The Altaro product automatically optimises radio network plans as well as the live network itself.
It uses proprietary algorithms which allow rapid modelling of the air interface to establish the best
possible configuration for the network. The multi-technology architecture of the product will
enable joint optimisation of 2G, 2.5G and 3G. This manual gives an overview of the product
developed for WCDMA FDD and GSM TDMA technologies.
The Altaro product incorporated full air interface simulation of both technologies (which run up to
200 times faster than any other commercially available). It uses proprietary optimisation
algorithms for this particular application.
Altaro seeks to find the best solution within the user defined constraints. The user has the ability
to input constraints at a detailed level e.g. individual sectors and sites and this enables the
network design to explicitly capture knowledge that is today only informally held by a radio
planner or optimisation engineer. The user is able to extract the current optimised network
configuration solution at any point whilst Altaro is running.
Arieso's innovative joint approach to optimisation and simulation provides the user with a very
powerful and accurate product for design and optimisation. Arieso's proprietary algorithms have
been developed to offer high-speed performance as well as accurate modelling and optimisation
of WCDMA & GSM. The simulation algorithm used within Altaro has been independently verified
against live network data and industry standards.
What Does Altaro Automate?
· Power planning
· Selection of sites
· Selection of sectors
· Selection of antenna
o Tilt
o Direction
o Sectors
o Type
As well as automating these parameter settings, Altaro optimises the network design by allowing
the user to set the relative importance of technical parameters and infrastructure cost targets.
Optimisation Constraints
That may be set and respected for any sector:
· Minimum and Maximum mechanical tilt

· Mechanical tilt step size
· Minimum and Maximum combined (mechanical and electrical) tilt
· Set of electrical tilt antenna patterns
· Minimum and Maximum CPICH/BCH power
· CPICH/BCH power step size
· Clockwise & Counter-clockwise azimuth (relative to starting position)
· Azimuth step size
What Does Altaro Optimise?

In WCDMA projects Altaro will optimise the following parameters
· Quality of service in terms of Ec/Io

· Coverage in terms of Ec
· Capacity in terms of grade of service
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Overshoot
· Cost
In TDMA projects Altaro will optimise the following parameters

· Coverage in terms of RSSI
· Dominance in terms of the number of servers at any given location
· Capacity in terms of number of Erlangs of traffic served/lost
· Overshoot
· Cost
Altaro provides the best optimisation across the operator's multi-service environment.
In the process of the optimisation of the above, Altaro:

· Minimises pilot pollution
· Ensures optimum redistribution of traffic between cells
· Addresses handover
· Minimises interference
Where is Altaro used?
· Altaro can be used at the radio planning stage for rollout and upgrade of network
· Altaro can be used to optimise the live network using measurements and network data
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Part
Getting Started
2
2 Getting Started
2.1 In the Product Pack
Arieso provides in the Altaro product pack the following
1. Altaro CD - Single User or Network Version

2. Altaro Dongle - Single User or Network Dongle
3. Installation Guide
4. User Manual
In addition and external to the product pack Arieso will provide each user instance an ESRI
ArcEngine runtime licence. Guidance on the installation procedure can be found in the next
section.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Getting Started 9
2.2 Installation Process

This chapter contains important information that you must read before installing your purchased
software. Failure to comply with these directions can cause unpredictable behaviour to your
system and disrupt the operation of any ArcGIS software you may have already installed.
Installation Process
Take the following steps to install Altaro and ArcGIS Engine Runtime on your PC:
1. Logon to the machine with administrator account permissions
2. Load the supplied Altaro CD into the machine
3. From the presented menu first install Altaro
4. Install ArcGIS Engine Runtime version 9.1 from the CD
To authorise ArcGIS Engine Runtime:

From the Autorun menu launch the software authorisation tool using the link "Authorise ArcGIS
Engine Runtime 9.1". Alternatively if the registration file has been supplied separately double click
the file and the authorisation software will be launched automatically.
ESRI ArcGIS software installation
To run Altaro on your chosen PC, you must first install and appropriately authorise the ArcGIS
Engine Runtime 9.1 software from ESRI (supplied on your Altaro installation CD).
Although Arieso recommend that you install version 9.1 of ArcGIS Engine Runtime. Altaro has only
been tested using both version 9.0 & 9.1 of ArcGIS Engine, so support will be limited if problems
appear as a result of an incompatible version of ArcGIS Engine software.
If you already have installed an earlier version of other ESRI products, you must upgrade them to
match the same version of ArcGIS Engine Runtime that you are installing. Upgrading to a newer
version of ArcGIS software requires that you fully uninstall any previous versions of ArcGIS
software in order to perform the installation of the new version. You can authorise ArcGIS Engine
Runtime 9.1 using one of the following ways:
· You have received a licence for ArcGIS Engine Runtime 9.1 from Arieso, as part of your
Altaro software. Use the licence file supplied to you by Arieso to authorise the software.
· You already have a valid and spare licence for version 9.1 of one of the following ESRI
products: ArcInfo, ArcEditor or ArcView. You can use one of these licences to authorise
ArcGIS Engine Runtime 9.1, if required.
· You have purchased a licence for ArcGIS Engine Runtime 9.1 directly from ESRI. Use the
licence file supplied to you by ESRI to authorise the software.
Under Windows, ESRI specify that only one version of ArcGIS software can be installed on one
machine. This means that any other ArcGIS software you may have installed should be updated to
match the version of the ArcGIS Engine Runtime software that you are installing. Please make
sure to carefully check for other software installed on the target machine that may use an ArcGIS
component. If there are other products using ArcGIS Engine, then you should investigate the
compatibility of these other products with ArcGIS version 9.0.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2.3 System Requirements

Altaro runs on PC work stations under Windows 2000 or XP. The minimum and recommended
configurations for standalone applications are given below:
Minimum Requirements
1. CPU Pentium IV with 1GHz processor

2. Memory 500MB RAM
3. Disk 20GB Hard Drive
4. Operating Windows 2000
System
5. Graphics 1024 x 768 pixel resolution
6. Application Microsoft Office 2000
Recommended Configuration
1. CPU Pentium IV with 3GHz processor

2. Memory 2GB RAM
4. Operating Windows XP
System
6. Application Microsoft Office 2003
Notes on requirements:
· Altaro can operate on "standard" windows-based PCs.
· Faster processor and additional RAM will allow Altaro to complete calculations more
quickly.
· A Dual-pipeline Pentium 4 processor provides significant speed increase and allows

Altaro PCs to be responsive if performing other tasks while optimising (for example to
perform analysis with Delfino while optimisation is in progress.) Each exercise and each
project will occupy disk space. A typical project may occupy between 1 and 10 GB of
disk space. The more disk space available to the user the more projects they may have
access to without resorting to backup facilities.
· As a map-displaying application, Altaro benefits from addressing larger screen areas at

higher pixel resolutions. The more screen-space available the clearer the map
presentations can be.
Networked PC Installation
This configuration involves the Altaro executable being hosted and run on a central server
platform with the user interactions performed across a LAN or WAN using a thin client computer.
Client requirements:
The same as the minimum requirements for a standalone PC (above)
Minimum Server requirements:
1. CPU Multi Processor based work station

2 Processor per 1GHz per "simultaneous user"
User
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Getting Started 11
3 Memory 500 Mb RAM per "simultaneous user"

5. Operating Windows Server 2003 OS hosting Windows Terminal Services
System Ethernet connectivity to client workstations
7. Application Microsoft Office 2000 running on server environment
Recommended Server Requirements
1. CPU Multi Processor based work station

2 Processor per 3GHz per "simultaneous user"
User
3 Memory 2Gb RAM per "simultaneous user"
4. Disk Large RAID configured hard disk storage
5. Operating Windows Server 2003 OS hosting Windows Terminal Services and
System Citrix Switched ethernet connectivity to client workstations
7. Application Microsoft Office 2003 running on server environment
Notes on requirements:
· There is little benefit to be gained from having a more powerful client computer than
the minimum specification offered here, unless the client is also intended for other tasks
and applications.
· "Simultaneous Users" is a count of the maximum number of people expected to be

actively working with the Altaro software at the same time. This may not be the same
figure as the number of people given permission to use Altaro. Activities that constitute
actively working with Altaro include Importing data, running the optimiser, calculating
neighbour lists, displaying results on the map, analysing the map area (panning,
zooming, etc) and generating Excel reports.
· The basic brief is that the thin client, accessing the central server, appears to gain the
processing resources of that central server. Therefore the more people accessing the
central server at the same time the more resources it requires.
· Thin clients can access the server through Windows Terminal Services alone. Citrix is an
addition to this ability, offering resources such as protected memory spaces and
transparent window operation (so the applications on the server appear in the same
GUI as the applications on the local client.)
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2.4 Trouble Shooting Installation

After installing Altaro you may encounter some easily resolvable problems.
1. Table Registration - Flexcell, SimpleGrid

2. ArcGis Runtime
3. SuperPro Dongle
Table Registration
If the sites or sectors tables within Altaro fail to open then it is likely that the appropriate table
control has not been properly registered during the installation process. To re-register the table
follow the steps below.
1. Check within the ....Program Files\Arieso\Altaro\etc to make sure that the Flexcell.ocx
file exists. If it does not exist contact support@arieso.com
2. If it does exist then go to windows start menu\run
3. Type in regsvr32 and drag the Flexcell.ocx file from the ....Program
Files\Arieso\Altaro\etc directory
4. Click on run
5. A message should be displayed saying that the file has been successfully registered
ArcGis Runtime
Altaro requires ArcGis runtime to be present and registered in order to run. If the ArcGis runtime
is not present then the following warning will be displayed on trying to load Altaro
'ArcGis initialisation failed, this application cannot run. Please ensure you have installed
and appropriately authorised ArcGis Runtime Engine'
If the ArcGis runtime has been installed then the reason for failure may be due to registration.
Please consult the Installation Process Section of this chapter for further details on registering the
runtime.
If ArcGis runtime has not been installed please refer back to the original CD provided by Arieso
and install ArcGis from here.
If problems persist please contact Arieso support.
SuperPro Dongle
In case of the message "Protection key error", please check your connection and the key validity.
If you use a hardware SuperPro dongle, try first to reboot your computer after installation on an
administrator account. Then, install again the sentinel driver.
Caution:
· It is advised to switch off your computer before unplugging or plugging hardware key into
it.
· Do not change the PC date.
If problems persist please contact support@arieso.com
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Getting Started 13
2.5 Getting Help

To get help from the Help menu
· Just select the Help Topic command in the ? menu. The Help window is then opened on the
screen.
Several approaches are available to search information:

Click on the Content tab to scroll through a table of content. When you have found the topic
you are interested in, simply double click on it. A window containing the information about the
subject will then be opened on your screen.
Or
Click on the Index tab to refer to the index inputs. Choose in the list the input you are
interested in, double click on it. A window containing the information about the subject will be
displayed.
Or
Click on the Find tab to search for specific words or sentences that might be in a help topic.
Type the word or the sentence foe which you wish to search, choose in the list a subject and
then press Display to open the window containing the information.
To see the name of a toolbar button

· Rest the pointer on the button until the name appears.
To get information about the Altaro version (e.g. version number, build, copyright
statement)
· Click the about button from the help toolbar item
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2.6 Technical Support

Technical support is available from the Arieso worldwide support centre, available Monday - Friday
from 8am to 6pm (British local time) or through Arieso's local representatives.
The Technical support team can be reached via email

· support@arieso.com
By Telephone
· +44 (1635) 232475
Or via the website

· www.arieso.com
Web based support is available via a password provided by Arieso, if you require a password or
have forgotten your password please email support@arieso.com
Information on the following is available on the support website.

· Latest version patches
· Latest Altaro documentation
· Known bugs
· Corrected bugs
· Release notes
· Additional information
The web based support system allows a log of support transactions to be recorded
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Part
The Altaro Environment
3
3 The Altaro Environment

The Altaro Environment brings together tools for importing, manipulating and viewing CDMA and
TDMA based networks. It also adds significant functionality to the engineer for optimising these
networks. These tools include
· Altaro - For automatically optimising GSM and W-CDMA networks

· Delfino - Measurement analysis and visualisation for GSM and W-CDMA network
configurations
· Neighbour Planning - For automatically selecting inter and intra-technology neighbours
on the basis of measurements, predictions and user defined parameters
This section will cover a general environment overview while further sections will document
elements specific to each function.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The Altaro Environment 17
3.1 Environment Overview

The Altaro application has been developed around the latest Microsoft .Net framework. This
means the user interface is designed around the standard windows interface allowing quicker
familiarisation and reducing training time. In addition it allows individual users to configure
toolbars, icons and menu items themselves to ease navigation around the application.
The Altaro user interface consists of an integrated set of cursors, windows, tools, menus and
toolbars which allow the user to create and define the project. The toolset available has been
chosen specifically to satisfy the purposes of automatic optimisation.
The Altaro environment is based around three windows.
· Main Window - Multi-tabbed to allow the display of various information sets

· Results Explorer - Allows easy navigation between the outputs of the various optimisation
exercises
· Events Window - Displays any warning, errors or status messages from Altaro.
The Altaro main window displays the available document types. Documents are of four types
· Start Page - Quick list to jump to previously accessed projects
· Maps - Maps are used to display geographic information e.g. coverage, interference,
locations of sites etc.
· Tables - The two principle tables used within Altaro are the sites and sectors tables. These
contain the information set used to build up the network session
· Results - Altaro displays its results in a number of formats, tables, graphs, flat HTML,
statistics. These various types are combined into a single document with multiple tabs being
available for navigation
The following sections will deal in more detail with the functions of the map, table and results
documents.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.2 Manipulating the Environment

The Altaro environment has been designed around the latest technology in visual interface
software. This allows the various windows to be minimised, maximised, docked, undocked,
extended and generally configured around user preferences.
The key features within this environment are
· Auto hide Pin - The pin is present on most of the windows within Altaro and allows the
window to be 'Pinned in Place' or minimised in the background. If the window is minimised
hovering the mouse over the remaining tab will display the window
· Docking Panes - Many of the windows within Altaro can be docked into different
configurations. For instance this allows the table and map view to be viewed simultaneously
without having to switch between windows. To re-arrange the view in this way simply select
and hold the tab of choice and drag into the desired location. When a permitted docking
location is found a grey outline will appear around the pane. Releasing at this point places the
pain in the chosen location and re-sizes adjacent panes.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

In some circumstances the user may be prompted with further options

1. Move to previous tab group - Moves the current document into the tab group it
was in previously
2. Horizontal Tab Group - Allows a horizontal split of the screen, as displayed above
3. Vertical Tab Group - Allows a vertical split of the screen
The organisation of the Altaro environment is specific to the current session. The organisation of
the windows within the session is not saved within the configuration and consequently not
loaded when the next session is created.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.3 Start Page Document

3.3.1 Start Page Document
On loading Altaro either for the first time or when projects already exist the user will be presented
with the Start Page Document. The start page is a simple HTML document which contains a listing
of the four most recently accessed projects.
The path to the project and the save time and date is recorded within the table.
To open one of these existing projects simply click on the project name.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4 Map Document

3.4.1 Legend
The map legend is displayed to the left of the main map document. The legend serves a number
of purposes
1. To display which layers are currently loaded into the session and therefore available for
viewing
2. To select which of the available layers are displayed
3. To show the colour scheme for the selected layers
4. To show the order in which the layers are displayed
5. Renaming of layers
In the following example the map is displaying three layers.

· 'Sectors' Layer
· 'Sites' Layer
· 'Height2' Layer
These layers are indicated by the 'tick' symbol within the checkbox for these layers. The Legend
also shows the order in which the layers are drawn. In this case the sectors and sites layers are
drawn on top of the height2 layer. If the height2 layer were at the top of the legend then this
would be displayed at the top and layers underneath this would not be visible to the user. To
re-order layers use the Map Layer Toolbar
It is possible to show the current colour scheme associated with the layer by clicking on the '+'
symbol. This extends the legend to show the assigned colour scheme and any labels associated
with the colour class definitions.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Now, with the tree extended it is possible to see the colours associated with each range within the
viewed layer. This can be re-hidden by selecting the '-' symbol to compress the tree. To change
the colour scheme and labels use the Legend Editor Dialogue.
To rename the layer click on the layer title - the title will then become editable and any text
string, subject to certain naming conventions, can be entered. The 'Sites' and 'Sectors' layers are
protected and as such their names cannot be changed.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.2 Legend Editor

The legend editor allows the user to re-define colour scheme and add their own specific naming
conventions relevant to their needs.
The legend editor also allows the user to define default legends for certain types of display. For
instance defaulting to a pre-set colour scheme for coverage or interference.
On opening the colour chooser the user will be displayed either the current colour settings with
associated colours, values and ranges or the default settings.
The value ranges and labels for each value range can be edited by double clicking into the
appropriate field and editing the values within. Colours can edited by double clicking a particular
entry to present a standard windows colour chooser dialog.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

It is also possible to auto-define a range of values with a particular step size and colour according
to a predefined colour scheme. Selecting the 'Values and Colours' entry will display a second
dialog.
Within this dialog the values can set, using the 'From' and 'To' and specifying a particular step
size. Also colour schemes and ramps can be used to auto-colour the range. Pressing 'Set' in either
of these options will reflect the changes in the colour chooser, above.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.3 Vector Property Editor

The vector property editor allows the properties of imported vectors i.e. polygons and polylines to
be edited.
After a vector has been added to the map view, either by importing polygons as zones or by
adding a vector layer, double click on the legend entry for the polygon. This will bring up the
Polygon Display Settings dialogue.
The Polygon display settings dialogue allows the properties of a vector map to be modified. The
properties that can be modified are.
· Line Colour Line colour can for the active vector can be specified using the colour
drop-down
· Line Width Line width in the range 0 - 10 points
· Line Style Line Style options include solid, dashed and dotted and variants on
these
· Fill Colour The fill colour to apply within the polygon
· Fill Style The fill style to apply within the polygon options include solid, hatched
horizontally, hatched vertically and variants on these
· Fill Sets the transparency of the filled polygon
Transparency
Any changes made to the polygon line and fill settings will be reflected in the legend to the left
hand side of the map view.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.4 Sector Editor

The sector editor function allows the user to modify the properties and labels applied to each
sector of the visible network. Colours and colour schemes can be applied as can labels to
represent specific characteristics.
The sector editor is selected by double clicking the sectors from the map legend. On opening the
dialog the user is presented with two tabs.
· Label - Controls the label settings

· Colour - Controls the setting of sector colours in the map window
The functionality and controls associated with each tab are displayed in the following sections
3.4.4.1 Sector Editor Label

The first tab presented to the user gives the option of setting labels for each sector visible in the
network.
The label tab is shown above allows the user to select any of the fields presented in the drop
down box. Options include:
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Sector ID
· Scrambling Code
· Antenna
· MHA Flag
· Max Channels
· Azimuth
· Tilt
· Cell Height
· BS Power
· Losses (Uplink and Downlink)
· CPICH Power
· Non Orthogonal
· Cell Load
· Cell Noise
· Use Limit
· Set Name
The user can choose to colour the label and also choose the size at which to display the label.
Sizes given are Smallest, Small, Normal, Large and Largest.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.4.2 Sector Editor Colour

The second tab gives the user the flexibility to modify colours per sector and apply ranges to
colour schemes and labels to the map legend.
The user can choose to colour all sectors with a common colour scheme. This is achieved by
selecting 'Use Default' and then selecting the appropriate scheme. Alternatively 'Use Field' can be
specified, in this case the user can specify one of the available fields from the drop down. Fields
available for selection include
· Sector ID
· Scrambling Code
· Antenna
· MHA Flag
· Max Channels
· Azimuth
· Tilt
· Cell Height
· BS Power
· Losses (Uplink and Downlink)
· CPICH Power
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Non Orthogonal
· Cell Load
· Cell Noise
· Use Limit
· Set Name
In addition the user is able to modify labels, colours and the overall brightness theme applied to a
particular layer.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.5 Site Info

The site identify tool allows the user to view the site information for a selected site from the map
view. The site identify function is available through either the normal cursor tool or the site
identify tool.
Double clicking on or close to the site of interest will display the following dialogue.
The dialog follows a consistent form for both TDMA and W-CDMA systems. At the top common
site information is displayed, information such as the X and Y location (displayed as Easting and
Northing), the site type, site status and headstock arrangement. Making changes to the
information displayed here will update any details contained within the sites table.
Below the site level information a series of tabs are displayed, these indicate the cells associated
with each site. Dependant upon the technology a further two or three tabs will be displayed per
cell.
· General Includes all current cell configuration information e.g. height, azimuth,
antenna, hardware restrictions etc.
· Power (W-CDMA Represents the powers on each physical channel and the associated
only) activity factor. Powers are represented as a % of the total cell power.
· Limits Represents the minimum and maximum boundary of any optimisation
parameter and also the step size between the parameters.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The cell configuration information can be edited directly in this dialogue box or alternatively may
be edited in either the sites or sectors tables. Any changes made in the sites or sectors tables will
only be seen in the sectors dialogue once those changes have been applied in the table.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.6 Draw Calculation & Optimisation Zone

The optimisation and calculation zones have a large influence on the outcome of any optimisation
exercise. The bounds of these polygons impacts where Altaro attempts to gain coverage, minimise
interference and meet other key performance indicators (KPI) and consequently may have a
significant effect on the output.
Optimisation Zone
The optimisation zone, outlined in green, defines the area in which Altaro will physically optimise
site configurations and parameters. This is also the area where KPIs are optimised. If the cells
located within this area have configurations that allow changes to be made then Altaro will
attempt to make changes to the cells within the specified constraints. The optimisation zone
should be fully enclosed within the calculation zone, if not then the optimiser will display a
warning message and will not run.
Calculation Zone
The calculation zone, outlined in red should define the area in which Altaro performs its
calculations. The power transmitted from sites within this area contribute towards the interference
in the optimisation zone. In addition when traffic is considered users are also simulated within this
area such that any additional power in the uplink or downlink is factored in to the interference
calculations.
To draw either optimisation zone or calculation zone select the appropriate tool from the graphic
elements toolbar. Click on the map view and select the starting point for the polygon, continue
clicking in the locations where additional nodes are to be placed. When all the required nodes
have been defined double click to close the polygon. The drawing function always creates a closed
polygon therefore it is not necessary to line up the starting and finishing nodes precisely as Altaro
will close the polygon automatically.
Once drawn the polygon can be deleted by selecting it using the select elements cursor and then
using the delete key from the keyboard. Using this cursor the polygon can also be re-sized and
moved.
It is also possible to easily import other vectors from sources such as a radio planning tool to use
as the different zones. More detail on this operation is contained within Import Polygons as Zones
section.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.7 Map Tools

In addition to the standard tools available via the toolbars described later within this document
Altaro also provides the user with some further functions to allow more detailed analysis or
visualisation operations to be undertaken.
· Custom Zoom Ratios Allows the user to zoom to calculation zone, optimisation
zone or sites
· Raster Identify Function Returns the value for the pixel under the cursor location on
one or many layers
· Map Calculator Allows custom formulae to be generated for detailed
results analysis
· Map Find Finds a site or sector on the map and highlights it
· Active/Inactive or Toggles the site legend from showing active and inactive
Locked/Unlocked sites to locked and unlocked sites
· Colour Sectors by Code Colours Sectors by BCCH-BSIC code or by Scrambling
Code
· Spider Tool Allows measurements to be spidered
3.4.7.1 Zooming In and Out

Numerous functions exist within Altaro for zooming into and out of map areas. The most
commonly available functions are available from within the Map Toolbar.
In addition Altaro offers a number of additional zoom functions that are available via the 'Map'
Menu. These are defined as
· Zoom to Sites Will zoom to the maximum extents of all the sites in the
project
· Zoom to calculation zone Will zoom to the maximum extents of the calculation zone
· Zoom to optimisation Will zoom to the maximum extents of the optimisation zone
zone
These functions are designed to allow easy navigation to particular zones of the map area. Should
this be a regular operation the menu items can be added to the standard.
3.4.7.2 Raster Identify

The raster identify tool is available from either the Graphic Elements Toolbar or from the Tools
Menu.
A raster is a two dimensional spatial representation of a dataset. Altaro uses rasters extensively
within the map document for displaying coverage, interference, traffic, heights etc. The raster
identify tool allows the user to interrogate any point on the map and returns the value of any
rasters currently displayed.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The image above shows the raster identify tool. In this case layers 'cs64_64', 'voice', 'Height2', '
Sites' and 'Sectors' are currently active within the legend, indicated by the check box. If an
additional layer were activated within the legend then on the next click from the identify tool the
value of this layer would also be displayed in the dialogue. In addition to the value of the active
rasters at the selected point the identify tool also displays the Easting and Northing values.
The contents of the Identify dialogue can be copied onto the windows clipboard by selecting the
appropriate items and using CTRL+C. The identify tool will always display the value for the last
clicked location. The raster identify tool can also be docked as per the standard Altaro windows
functionality.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.7.3 Map Calculator

The Map Calculator is an extremely powerful analysis function present within Altaro. Map
Calculator allows the user to create mathematical expressions to perform on the raster layers
included within the session.
Map calculator performs calculations on a bin-by-bin basis, e.g. if the equation were
coverage_opt>=coverage_org then for each bin Altaro would evaluate the equation giving a
Boolean (1 or 0) output for each.
The map calculator dialogue has a number of elements.
· Equation Window Equation is built up in this window

· Layers Window All raster layers currently available on the
map are shown in this window. Raster
layers can be added to the equation
window by double clicking on the
appropriate layer within this window.
· Syntax Window Displays the required syntax for the current
function.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Output Layer Window Allows the user to specify a name for the
output layer and also if it is to be used for
analysis, regions or traffic.
If the layer is to be used for regions or
traffic Altaro will save the output grid file to
the specified directories.
· Progress Bar Displays the progress of the output
calculation
· Abort Stops the grid creation process once
running
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Functions
Arithmetic
1. + Adds one gird to another gird, returning the sum on a per-bin basis
2. – Subtracts one grid by another gird, returning the difference on a per bin basis
3. / Divides a grid by another grid, returning the quotient on a per-bin basis
4. * Multiplies a grid by another grid, returning the product on a per-bin basis
Boolean
5. OR – Returns the logical OR of two grids on a per-bin basis
6. AND – Returns the logical AND of two grids on a per-bin basis
7. NOT – Returns the logical complement of a grid on a per bin basis
8. XOR – Returns the logical XOR of two grids on a per-bin basis
Logical
9. > Evaluates the greater than relation on a grid and another gird on a per-bin basis
10. >= Evaluates the greater than or equal to relation on a grid and another grid on a
per-bin basis
11. < Evaluates the less than relation on a grid and another grid on a per-bin basis
12. <= Evaluates the greater than or equal to relation on a grid and another gird on a
per-bin basis
13. = Evaluates the equal to relation on a grid and another grid on a bin-by-bin basis
14. <> Evaluates the not equal to relation on a grid and another grid on a bin by bin basis
Arithmetic
15. Abs – Calculates the absolute value for each bin of a grid
16. ROUND – Calculates the value of each grid rounded to the nearest whole number on a
bin by bin basis
Logarithmic and Exponential

17. EXP – Calculates the base 10 exponential of each bin in the grid
18. LOG – Calculates the base 10 logarithm of each bin in the grid
20. LN – Calculates the base 2 logarithm of each bin in the grid
21. ^ - Raises a grid to the power of another grid on a per-bin basis
Others
22. Prob – Returns the probability that a grid will exceed a threshold (mean) on the basis of a
standard deviation calculated on a bin by bin basis.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.7.4 Find
Map Find can be accessed by using the binoculars on the main toolbar. Find is also available from
the Edit Menu
The Map Find function allows the user to search for both sites and cells. If the site or cell is found
then the location is highlighted by way of a light blue ring around the site. In the event that a
number of sites/cells meet the search criteria then Altaro will highlight all of the matches.
To remove the selection use the Remove Selection icon from the Graphic Elements Toolbar as
shown above.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.7.5 Active/Inactive & Locked/Unlocked

This tool allows the user to show visually on the map which sites are locked/unlocked or which
sites are active/inactive. Viewing Active/Inactive is useful for site selection exercises, viewing
Locked/Unlocked shows easily where sites can and cannot be modified.
The view below shows Active and Inactive sites, with active sites shown in blue and inactive sites
in grey.
Toggling to locked and unlocked changes the legend key to show light blue or orange
respecitively. A site is determined to be unlocked if the site type is defined as anything other than
locked.
Altaro defaults to showing the active/inactive key in the map legend. Active sites are shown in
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

blue and inactive in grey. To toggle between this view and the locked/unlocked view either select
the option from the Map menu or from the Graphic Elements Toolbar.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.7.6 Colour Sector by Code

Colour sector by code is available from the Graphic Elements Toolbar. This tool allows the sectors
displayed on the map to be coloured according to their identification code. The ID code could be a
BCCH-BSIC combination, in a GSM environment, or a Scrambling Code in a UMTS environment.
Colouring by code will use the same colour scheme as used in a best server map. This allows the
user to correlate best server maps, from measurements or from predictions with the sectors which
produced the signal.
Once selected the screen view will be updated with the appropriate colours and the legend will
show, per code the colour applied. Sectors can also be coloured by a custom scheme, this is
described in the Sector Editor.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.8 Adding other Map Layers

In addition to those layers that are added to the map view and form an intrinsic part of the
optimisation process e.g. height, clutter, optimisation polygons Altaro also allows the user to add
further layers for visualisation purposes.
Visualisation layers can be added from the Map\Add Layer Menu
· Vector Can be used to add vectors e.g. buildings, roads etc.

Layer
· Grid Can be used to add raster grid layers
Layer
· Image Can be used to add images e.g. backdrop maps
Layer
Descriptions of the supported file formats can be found within the appropriate sections of this
document.
3.4.8.1 Vectors
Altaro allows the following vector formats to be added to the map.
· ESRI Shape Generic Vector format supporting regions, line and point features
File (*.shp)
· ESRI Layer Layer format file contains symbol definitions, label properties, scale
File (*.lyr) dependency and definition. It does not contain any data but contains a
pointer to a shape file with the data included
To add a vector layer to the map select Map\Add Layer\Vector and navigate to the file or files of
interest. Select the file, for multi-selection use CTRL+CLICK or SHIFT+CLICK.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The vector layer(s) are added to the top layer of the legend and given the same name as the
loaded filename.
The vector layer can then be moved up and down relative to the other layers using the Map
Layers Toolbar. Properties can also be edited using the Vector Properties Editor.
3.4.8.2 Images
Images can be added in a similar way to that for vectors. Altaro supports the TIF file format which
is generally used for backdrop maps.
Images can be georeferenced using a world file, this ensures that the image is located in the
correct location on the map. For more information on the format of both the TIF and associated
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

world file see the file formats section of this document
To add an image select Map\Add Layer\Image from the menu items and choose an appropriate
file(s) from the file chooser. Multiselect can be achieved using CTRL+CLICK or SHIFT+CLICK.
The selected layers are added to the map, below site and sector layers with a layer item created
for each of the loaded files.
The vector layer can then be moved up and down relative to the other layers using the Map
Layers Toolbar.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.4.8.3 Grids
The ESRI grid file format is used widely by Altaro for all imported raster data, this could be height,
predictions, clutter etc. In some cases it is beneficial to be able to view previously imported layers
or to interrogate prediction files for discrepancies. This can be achieved by adding the grid file to
the map.
To add a grid file choose Map\Add Layer\Grid from the menu. In this situation a folder chooser is
displayed to the user. For each grid two folders are created one entitled 'info' and other given the
grid name. In order to add a grid layer to the map view the named folder should be loaded, if the
incorrect folder is selected an warning will be displayed telling the user that the selected grid file
could not be loaded.
After selecting the appropriate named folder select 'OK' and the grid file will be displayed on the
map in the default colour scheme. Grid files are rasters and consequently tools such as map
calculator and raster identifycan be used to interrogate them.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

In the example above a masked prediction file has been loaded, the values displayed within this
file represent the pathloss from the antenna to a mobile at a particular location. This layer can be
manipulated using the map calculator, shown, hidden moved up and moved down using the
functions available from the map toolbar.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.5 Table Document

Altaro stores site and sector configuration and constraint information in two database tables,
· Sites Table Stores site location, ID etc.

· Sectors Table Stores sector ID, offsets, link budget configurations etc.
These tables are accessible via the Network Menu item from the main menu bar.
Selecting either the sites or sectors table from the menu item will either open a new instance of
the table, if it is not already open, or if the table is already open makes it the active document.
Navigation within the table has been designed to be 'Excel-like' and all contents can be cut and
paste into external applications. More details on table functionality can be found in the table tools
section.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.5.1 Sites Table

The sites table contains data specific to each site in the network and is available through the
Network/Sites menu item.
The site table contains 6 fields which holds both constraints and configuration information.
Field Description Possible Value

· Site Id A unique identifier to define the site String Value
(cannot be entered directly -
must be imported)
· X Easting Location (m) any longitude Integer Value
fields present in the import are (cannot be entered directly -
converted to an Easting value must be imported)
· Y Northing Location (m) any latitude Integer Value
fields present in the import are (cannot be entered directly -
converted to a Northing Value must be imported)
· Inter-Sector Defines whether all antennas on a 'FIXED' - Azimuths move
Angle site have to move relative to one independant of one another
another in azimuth or whether they 'VARIABLE' - All azimuths move
exhibit a fixed separation. This may relative to one another
also be referred to as a fixed or
variable head-stock.
· Site Type Used to define the type of site, used 'LIVE' - existing live 3G site
by the optimiser when considering 'NEW 3G' - Candidate 3G site
relative costs during site selection 'NEW' - Candidate 2G site
exercises 'UPGRADE' - Candidate site
already owned by operator
'LOCKED' - Existing live 3G site
that cannot be changed in
optimisation
· Status Defines whether the site is on or off 'ACTIVE' - Transmitting
'INACTIVE' - Not Transmitting
A complete description of the available constraints is provided within the constraints section of this
document
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.5.2 Sectors Table

The sectors table contains information specific to the sectors within the network. The Sectors
table can be accessed via the Network\Sectors menu item. The sectors table is identical in
behaviour to the sites table.A sample is shown here.
The sectors table defines the parameters that are unique to a particular sector. Certain fields are
only relevant to TDMA technologies and others relevant to W-CDMA systems. These are defined in
the final column of the table.
Field Description Possible Value Units Technol

ogy
· Sector Id A unique identifier to Any text value (cannot be NA All
define the sector entered directly - must be
imported)
· Site Id A unique identifier to Any text value (cannot be NA All
define the site entered directly - must be
imported)
· Scramb_no Scrambling code number Numeric Integer Value Integer W-CDMA
for the cell (0-511)
· BCCH BCCH identifier for the Network colour code and Integer TDMA
cell broadcast colour code.
Altaro represents these as a
single numeric value in the
range (00-77)
· BSIC BSIC identifier for the Positive Integer Value Integer TDMA
cell (0-2047)
· Antenna Antenna Pattern Any text value NA All
Filename
· Mha_Flag Signifies whether an TRUE - Mha present NA All
MHA is included or not FALSE - Mha not present
· Num TCHs Number of TCHs on the Positive Integer Value Integer TDMA
site
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Field Description Possible Value Units Technol

ogy
· Max_chan Number of channel Positive Numeric Integer NA W-CDMA
elements available on value
the cell
· Dx Antenna offset easting Integer Value metres All
· Dy Antenna offset northing Integer Value metres All
· Azimuth Antenna Direction Positive Integer Value degrees All
(0-359)
· Tilt Antenna Mechanical Integer Value degrees All
Downtilt
· Cell_h Antenna Height above Positive Integer metres All
ground
· BS_Pow(W) Maximum basestation Positive Float Watts W-CDMA
power
· Uplinkloss Uplink loss e.g. feeders, Float dB All
splitters etc.
· Dnlinkloss Downlink loss e.g. Float dB All
feeders, splitters etc.
· Cpich_pow % of total BS_Pow used Positive float % W-CDMA
% on the CPICH
· Cpich_%on Activity factor of the Positive float % W-CDMA
CPICH
· Psch_pow% % of total BS_Pow used Positive float % W-CDMA
on the PSCH
· Psch_%on Activity factor of the Positive float % W-CDMA
PSCH
· Ssch_pow% % of total BS_Pow used Positive float % W-CDMA
on the SSCH
· Ssch_%on Activity factor of the Positive float % W-CDMA
SSCH
· Bch_pow% % of total BS_Pow used Positive float % W-CDMA
on the BCH
· Bch_%on Activity factor of the BCH Positive float % W-CDMA
· Fach_pow% % of total BS_Pow used Positive float % W-CDMA

on the FACH
· Fach_%on Activity factor of the Positive float % W-CDMA
FACH
· Pch_pow% % of total BS_Pow used Positive float % W-CDMA
on the PCH
· Pch_%on Activity factor of the PCH Positive float % W-CDMA
· Aich_pow% % of total BS_Pow used Positive float % W-CDMA

on the ACIH
· Aich_%on Activity factor of the Positive float % W-CDMA
AICH
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Pich_pow% % of total BS_Pow used Positive float % W-CDMA

on the PICH
· Pich_%on Activity factor of the Positive float % W-CDMA
PICH
· Non_orth Non orthoganality factor Positive Float (0-1) NA W-CDMA
· Cell_load Proportion of maximum Float (0-1) NA W-CDMA
basestation power
available during
simulation, includes
common channels +
DCH
· Cell_Noise Cell Noise figure Postive Float dB W-CDMA
· Use_limit Use individual cell limits TRUE NA All
FALSE
· Min_tilt Minimum combined tilt Float degrees All
constraint on the site
· Max_tilt Maximum combined tilt Float degrees All
constraint on the site
· Min Mech Minimum mechanical tilt Float degrees All
Tilt constraint on the site
· Max Mech Maximum mechanical tilt Float degrees All
Tilt constraint on the site
· Tilt_Step Tilt step size Positive Float degrees All
· Acw_azm Anti-clockwise azimuth Float degrees All
relative to the original
· Cw_azm Clockwise azimuth Float degrees All
constraint relative to the
original
· Azm_Step Azimuth step size Postive Float degrees All
· Min_Pow Minimum CPICH power Float dBm W-CDMA
· Max_Pow Maximum CPICH power Float dBm W-CDMA
· Pow_Step CPICH power step size Postive Float dBm W-CDMA
· Min_BCCH_p Minimum BCCH power Float dBm TDMA
ow
· Max_BCCH_ Maximum BCCH power Float dBm TDMA
pow
· BCCH_pow_ BCCH power step size Positive Float dBm TDMA
step
· Radius Maximum cell radius Positive Float Km All
allowed for overshoot
KPIs
· Set_name Antenna Set Name Text Must be All
a
member
of
antenna
sets list
A complete description of the available constraints within Altaro and their specific operation is
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

detailed in the constraints section.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.5.3 Table Tools

A number of tools exist for arranging and editing data within the Altaro tables. These tools are
available either through the table toolbar or by means of table menu items. Both menu items and
toolbar are only enabled if the sites or sectors table is the active document.
Tools available are
· Hide Selected Columns Hides the currently selected columns

· Hide/Show Columns Shows or hides particular columns within
the table
· View Constraints Only Shows sector id, sector configs and the
constraints on those configs
· Show All Columns Shows all columns included in the table
· Freeze ID Column Freezes the left most Site Id or Sector Id
column
· Sort Column Ascending Sorts the selected column, least significant
first
· Sort Column Descending Sorts the selected column, most significant
first
· Autofill Fills the selected range of cells with the
value of the first cell
· Column Fill Fills the whole column with the value in the
first cell of the colum
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.5.3.1 Hide Selected Columns

Hide selected columns is available from both the table menu item and from the table tool bar.
To use the function select the column headings for those columns you wish to hide
1. Select 'Hide Selected Column' from either the menu item or the table toolbar
3.5.3.2 Show Hide Columns

In addition to being able to sort and find records within the table Altaro also offers the flexibility to
be able to choose which fields to display. A toolbar shortcut is available for hiding columns. This is
available from the table toolbar.
In order to use this the user should first select the column or columns which are required to hide
and then to use the hide icon from the toolbar. Alternatively it is possible for the user to use the
hide/show menu item from the table menu.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

To show or hide columns within the table the user should check or uncheck the appropriate field.
Also available is show all or hide all.
3.5.3.3 View Constraints Only

The view constraints only command is available from both the table menu item and the table
toolbar. Viewing the constraints only allows fast navigation to the values most often changed for
optimisation exercises.
When viewing constraints only the following fields will be displayed within the table
· Use_Limit All
· Min_tilt All
· Max_tilt All
· Min Mech tilt All
· Max Mech Tilt All
· Tilt Step All
· Acw_azm All
· Cw_azm All
· Azm_step All
· Min_pow WCDMA projects only
· Max_pow WCDMA projects only
· Pow_step WCDMA projects only
· Min_BCCH_pow TDMA projects only
· Max_BCCH_pow TDMA projects only
· BCCH_pow_step TDMA projects only
· Radius All
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Set_name All
A more detailed description of all constraints can be found within the Constraints section.
3.5.3.4 Show All Columns

The show all columns command, when applied to the table will show make visible all columns
previously hidden by other commands.
3.5.3.5 Freeze ID Column

The Freeze ID command allows the user to freeze the first column in either the sites or sectors
tables. This is useful when scrolling across larger tables, or in minimised windows when reference
to a particular Sector is required.
The Freeze ID command can be toggled on and off using the F2 key or is available via the table
menu item.
When Freeze ID is in use the ID field of the table is highlighted and outlined to distinguish it from
other fields within the table.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.5.3.6 Sort Ascending/Descending

Sort Ascending/Descending functionality is available from the table toolbar and also via the table
menu item.
To use the sort function

1. Select the column header of the field in which you want to perform the sort
2. Select sort ascending or sort descending from the table toolbar
3.5.3.7 Find & Find Next

Find and find next functionality is available from the main toolbarand also via the edit menu item.
On selecting find from either location the find dialogue box is displayed on screen, shown here.
To use the find function enter the appropriate search string within the dialogue box, this could be
a site or sector, antenna pattern name or any other text string that may be contained within the
table. Match Case can be used if the search is to be case sensitive.
Find can be used in specific ranges - select the range of choice by using click and drag, if no range
is selected then find will work on the whole table.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

If the search string is matched Altaro will highlight the cell in which the string, or partial string is
located. Highlighting will vary according to the type of cell. Read only cells such as site and
sectorid are highlighted with a dotted line, read/write cells with a solid black line.
If the search string is not found then a message will be displayed informing the user that the
string has not been found.
If many cells contain the same search string then 'Find Next' can be used to cycle through the
range. On finding a cell it is highlighed in the same way as previously and the table will pan to the
found cell. On reaching the end of the search range Altaro will display the message 'Reached End
of Find Block', to re-search from the beginning of the range find must be exited and re-initiated.
3.5.3.8 Cut, Copy and Paste

The contents of both the sites and sectors tables can be copied and pasted into external
applications. In addition data from external applications can also be pasted into Altaro. Siteid,
sectorid as well as X & Y locations are protected fields and cannot be altered or copied to.
In order to copy select a range of cells and use the toolbar shortcuts from the Main Toolbar
Alternatively standard windows keyboard shortcut also work.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· CTRL+C Copy
· CTRL+V Paste
· CTRL+X Cut
3.5.3.9 Auto Fill

Auto fill allows multiple entries to be filled with like values without the need for entering each
individually. Block fill will populate a range of cells with the value of the first cell in the range.
In the above example the first cell is that at the top left of the range, this cell is outlined but not
highlighted. The cells highlighted in blue are those which will be populated with the contents of
the first cell.To block fill the selected range use the block fill tool from the table toolbar .
This will then populate the entire range with the value from the first cell. It is not possible to block
fill into either the sectorid or siteid columns in the sectors table or the siteid, X location or Y
location in the sites table as these cells are protected.
3.5.3.10 Column Fill

The column fill command allows the user to fill one or a number of columns using the first cell in
each column. The column fill command is available either from the table menu item or the table
toolbar.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

In this example both columns will be filled with the value contained within the first cell of each
column, i.e. 30.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.6 Results Document

The results document summarises the results of the chosen exercise which could be a neighbour
planning exercise, measurement analysis exercise or an optimisation. The results document
usually comprises of both tabular and graphical items e.g. plots and often provides a report
directly into Microsoft Excel.
A sample results tree is shown below. This includes results from both performing an optimisation
and importing measurements.
Plots can be added to the map view by double clicking the appropriate entry. Tabular and
statistical results will be added into a new window also by double clicking the appropriate entry.
Any output plots from the optimisation are created as layers within the map which can be
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

interrogated by use of the Map Legend and sophisticated results manipulation can be performed
using the map calculator.
When working with optimisation outputs if a results document exists for the current optimisation
exercise selecting one of these items from the results explorer will result in a new tab being added
to the document. If the results document does not exist for the current exercise then the
document will be created. A single document will be created for each optimise folder and multiple
documents can be viewed if more than one optimisation exercise is being analysed and compared.
In the example above two results documents are being displayed, Optimise 5 and Optimise 8.
Within the optimise 5 document additional tabs have been created for each output. Results
documents can be arranged so that the results from two exercises can be viewed on screen
simultaneously this is described in the Altaro Environment section.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.7 Toolbars
The Altaro view also includes six standard toolbars.
· Main Toolbar
· Map Toolbar
· Map Layer Toolbar
· Graphic Elements Toolbar
· Table Toolbar
· Optimiser Toolbar
In addition toolbars can be customised to include other functions available from the menu items.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.7.1 Main Toolbar
Main toolbar contains the functionality associated with both the Standard and Edit windows
toolbars. Functions available from this toolbar include (from left to right)
· New Opens a new project

Project
· Open Opens a file chooser dialogue to open an existing project
Project
· Save Saves the current project
Project
· Cut Available only when a table document is active, cuts items selected from
Selected within the active table
· Copy Available only when a table document is active, copies items selected from
Selected within the active table
· Paste Available only when a table document is active, pastes items currently on
Selected the clipboard into the active table
· Find Available when either a table document or map document is active,
displays the find dialogue for use within the table or map
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.7.2 Map Toolbar
The Map toolbar will only activate when the Map view is the active document. Functions available
from the toolbar include (from left to right)
· Show/Hide Shows or hides the map legend from within the map window. The
legend legend can also be minimised through use of the pin
· Normal Normal cursor for selecting items on the map
Cursor
· Last Extent Takes the map view to the previous 'zoom out' extent
Backward
· Last Extent Takes the map view to the previous 'zoom in' extent
Forward
· Zoom Out Click and drag to zoom out to the selected extent
· Zoom In Click and drag to zoom in to the selected extent
· Fixed Zoom Zooms in by a fixed amount
In
· Fixed Zoom Zooms out by a fixed amount
Out
· Continuous Click once and drag upwards to zoom out, click once and drag
Zoom/Pan downwards to zoom in
· Full Extent Zooms to the full extents of all map layers
· Pan Select and drag to pan the map view to a different point
· Refresh Redraws all elements being displayed on the map
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.7.3 Map Layer Toolbar
The Map toolbar will only activate when the Map view is the active document. The map layer
toolbar operates on the currently selected layer within the legends dialogue.
· Move Layer Moves the currently selected layer up one place in the legend
Up
· Move Layer Moves the currently selected layer down one place in the legend
Down
· Delete Deletes the currently selected layer (This function is disabled on the sites
Layer and sectors layers as these layers are required by Altaro)
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.7.4 Graphic Elements Toolbar
The Graphics Elements toolbar will only activate when the Map view is the active document.
Functions available from this toolbar include (from left to right)
· Select Elements Cursor Selects elements from the map view such as polygons
· Draw Calculation Zones Polygon drawing tool for drawing the calculation zone
· Draw Optimisation Polygon drawing tool for drawing the optimisation zone
Zones
· Identify Tool for identify site information
· Raster Identify Reports the value for the current pixel on active raster map
layers
· De-select all Deselects map elements which have been selected after a
map find operation
· Active/Inactive - Toggles between showing the Active and Inactive Sites or
Locked/Unlocked the Locked and unlocked sites in the legend and on the
map
· Colour Sector by Code Allows colouring by Sector ID code. This may by
BCCH-BSIC or Scrambling Code. The colour scheme utilised
matches the colour scheme used for best server plots.
· Spider Tool Allows interrogation of measurement information, linking a
measured pixel with the serving cells
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.7.5 Table Toolbar
The Table toolbar will only activate when the table is the active document. Functions available
from the toolbar include (from left to right)
· Hide Selected Hides the current selected column(s)

Column(s)
· Show Shows only the columns which contain sector constraints
Constraints
· Show All Expands the table to full size showing all of the available columns
· Block Fill Block fills a range of cells with the value within the first selected cell
of the range
· Column Fill Fills the currently selected column(s) with the value in the first cell
of each selected column
· Sort Ascending Sorts with the lowest value first
· Sort Descending Sorts with the greatest value first
· Apply Changes Commits the changes made to the table to memory and updates
the map view
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3.7.6 Optimiser Toolbar
The optimiser toolbar is used as a shortcut to the menu items within the optimiser menu. This
toolbar is always active within a project. The functions available within the toolbar, from left to
right are:
· Go Starts the optimisation engine

· Settings Opens the optimisation settings dialogue
· Antenna TypesOpens the antenna types dialogue
· Antenna Sets Opens the antenna sets dialogue
· Geographic Opens the geographic data dialogue
Data
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Part
Setting up a Project
4
4 Setting up a Project
This section contains details of how to build an Altaro project from source data sets. Every effort
has been made to keep this section as generic as possible, however due to the variations in file
formats presented to Altaro there may be elements of this section which are not relevant to all
users.
Altaro interfaces to a number of commercial radio planning tools and measurement equipment
formats. This section deals with importing this data into a project and then setting up services for
simulation and the various GIS data sources required for optimisation.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Setting up a Project 73
4.1 New Project

On opening Altaro from a desktop shortcut or from the start menu the user is presented with the
standard Altaro start page. This page lists all previously opened projects which can be opened
using the hypertext link on this page.
To start a new project the user must choose Project\New Project from the Project Menu. This can
also be instigated by using the CTRL+N shortcut.
On selecting the New Project option the New Project dialogue is displayed, this prompts the user
for the name of the new project and also for the location in which to place the project. The user is
presented with a drop down box specifying the technology type they wish to consider for the
optimisation exercise. From this either UMTS or GSM should be selected.
The project location will default to the last used location, if one exists. On OK the project will be
saved and any required folders will be created.
The user then is required to set the project preferences.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.2 Project Preferences

The project preferences dialogue is available through the Project\Preferences\Options menu item.
It is from here that the user can set the locations in which they want to store project data.
In addition the project preferences dialogue is used to set the co-ordinate projection scheme
which is applied to all incoming data.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.2.1 Altaro File Structure

Altaro reads many different formats of data as most radio planning tools have their own
proprietary formats. In order to ensure consistency and high speed operation Altaro converts all
incoming formats into a internal format. The locations where these internal files are saved are
defined within the Project Options dialogue.
· Antennas Folder This points to a folder that should contain the complete antenna pattern
set required for the project. This should include all the patterns
currently deployed on sites and all patterns that the optimiser can
choose between during optimisation.
· Traffic Folder This folder contains converted traffic file(s) for the current project.
· Coverage Folder This folder contains converted prediction file(s) for each cell included
within the current project
· Height Folder This folder contains converted height file(s) for the current project
· Regions Folder This folder contains converted region file(s) for the current project
· Global Settings This folder contains global settings which can be used between different
Folder projects on different machines (if on a network drive) e.g. mapping
configurations
· Temp Folder This folder contains user configuration files which are created by Altaro
to remember common configurations which are specific to particular
users e.g. colour schemes etc.
The user has the option to save the current folders as the default, if this option is selected then
other new projects will use these folders too. This is beneficial if the same height, coverage
antennas etc. are to be used, across different users.
Load defaults will load the current defaults.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.2.2 Projection Systems

The target projection system identifies the co-ordinate system and map projection method that is
used to visualise the project. In coming data that is supplied in different formats may require
re-projection in order to make it line up with other data. Altaro will handle re-projection of
incoming data if needed but first it must be instructed of the system it is to use internally for its
own displays.
Altaro 3.0 supports various projection systems which can be chose from the target projection
system drop down. In the case that a UTM system is chosen then the user also has to select the
appropriate UTM zone.
The Overwrite checkbox is used if the user wishes to overwrite existing predictions when a new
prediction import takes place. If this is checked then existing predictions will be replaced by any
new predictions selected for import. If it is not checked then existing predictions will remain and
Altaro will only import predictions for cells that do not already have predictions associated.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.2.3 Raster Parameters

This tab allows you to tell the optimiser how the prediction data is to be imported and what the
project calculation resolution is to be:
· Includes an antenna gain factor in the prediction files

· Whether antenna masking has been applied
And finally also allows the global resolution bin size for the project to be defined
· This rationalises the resolution from many data sources (i.e. DTM, measurements, predictions
etc.)
· It is also used for providing granularity on output plots.
Optimisation is a highly macroscopic exercise and as a result optimisation outcome is not

particularly sensitive to smaller and smaller resolution steps. A smaller step means more
computation time - halving the calculation resolution will require x4 calculations and x4 amount of
memory from Altaro.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.3 Import
Altaro imports a wide range of datasets from radio planning tools and other external sources. The
import functions are available via the import menu item.
· Network Data Imports Site and Cell Configuration Information

Import
· Prediction Data Imports a set of prediction files produced by a radio planning
Import tool
· Height Imports height tiles from various formats
· Traffic Imports traffic tiles from various formats
· Regions Imports raster files to use as regions maps
· Polygons Two options
1. Import as Zones - imports the polygons directly onto the
map layer
2. Import as Raster - imports the polygons and allows the
user to combine them into a raster
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.3.1 Network Data Import

Within the Network data menu item the user is presented with a file chooser which allows the
selection of either an Asset *.xml format file or a generic *.csv formatted file. Other options may
include importing from an ORACLE database or Excel *.xls file.
Operations for each file type are described in more detail in the following sections.
4.3.1.1 Text File Import

The Network Data\From a File import is a generic function that allows fields from any text file to
be mapped to an Altaro field, this includes Microsoft Excel spreadsheets in an xls format.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The dialogue presents the user with a table that describes the source data and defines where it is
to be placed within the Altaro database. The first column of this table identifies the fields of
information that are present in the source data. Each field of source data is listed here on a
separate row. The second column presents an example value of the field, read from a record in
the source data file.
The third column identifies the field in Altaro's database into which the source field is placed. The
fourth column identifies units used for the source data if applicable (Altaro will convert the source
data into the units it uses internally if necessary). Finally the fifth column identifies a value in the
source data that Altaro is to treat as "No Data", Null or Not Applicable.
The above example shows a completed mapping, the associations between source and Altaro field
complete with the units are clearly shown.
This mapping function can support cases where multiple entries in the Altaro database are
presented in a single line in the source data. For example the cell configuration known as
Omni-Transmit, Sectored Receive (OTSR) is represented as multiple antennas hosted by the same
cell. The mapping function handles this by allowing several source fields to be mapped to the
same Altaro field. It should be noted that Altaro expects the source data to be arranged such that,
where multiple source fields are mapped the same Altaro field, the first occurence in the source
field corresponds to the first object generated by Altaro. The second occurence in the source
corresponds to the second Altaro object and so on.
4.3.1.2 Asset XML Import

The second option available within the files of type chooser is the Asset xml reader. Altaro reads
the following xml files as exported by Asset.
· INDEX001.xml Indexes all other xml files within the exported set
· NODEB-LIST001. Details Node B level parameters e.g. Antenna height, azimuth, tilt
xml
· PROPERTY-LIST Details Site level parameters e.g. location
001.xml
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· UMTS-CELL-LIST Details cell level parameters e.g. CPICH channel power

001.xml
· FEEDER-LIST001 Details feeder loss per metre for defined feeder types
.xml
· ANTENNA-LIST0 Details antenna patterns and electrical tilts
01.xml
Altaro automatically creates the links between the files and calculates fields such as feeder loss
from the details contained within.
In addition Altaro extracts all antenna patterns from the ANTENNA-LIST001.xml and populates
these into the Antennas directory specified from within the Project\Options dialogue.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.3.2 Prediction Data Import

Once sites and sectors have been imported it is possible to import prediction rasters for these
cells. Prediction file import is accessed from Import\Predictions menu item.
On selecting this menu item the user is presented with a folder browser. Use the browser to
navigate to the folder in which the radio planning tools native format predictions are stored. Once
the appropriate folder has been located select OK and Altaro will import the predictions into the
coverage directory specified with the project preferences dialogue. A progress bar will be
displayed to show the overall progress of the import on the top bar and the progress of the
current file on the bottom bar.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Planning Tool Specifics
· When dealing with Odyssey it is required that the Altaro reference Id field is populated during
the sites and sectors import as this is required to identify predictions to cells
· For PlanetEV data it is necessary to map the frequency of the sector to the Altaro reference id
column
· Likewise when dealing with Asset data sites have to be correctly projected as the X, Y
location is required to successfully map predictions to cells.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.3.3 Height Data Import

Height data can be imported using the Import\Height menu item. Altaro will display a files of type
chooser from which the user can select the appropriate format from the drop down list.
Supported file types include
· ESRI ASCII (*.asc) Easting/Northing Format

Raster
· ESRI ASCII (*.txt) Latitude/Longitude Format
Raster
· SUN Raster (*.rs) Easting/Northing (*.rsw world file required)
· ASSET Height (index.txt)Easting/Northing Format with multiple tiles indexed in the
Raster index file
· ODYSSEY Height (list.*) Easting/Northing Format with multiple tiles indexed in a list
Raster file
· PlanetEV Height (*.grd) Easting/Northing Format without index file
Raster
· Optimi Wizard (*.ter) Inverted Latitude/Longitude Format
For both ESRI raster formats and the SUN raster formats Altaro will only import a single file at a
time. Therefore if the optimisation area extended over a boundary between two files these would
need to be imported separately. In the case that the data has come form either the ODYSSEY or
ASSET radio planning tools then multiple tiles may be indexed via either the LIST or INDEX files.
In this case Altaro will import all of the tiles defined within the index file.
For further details on these file formats please refer to the appropriate owners manual.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.3.4 Clutter Data Import

Clutter data can be imported using the Import\Clutter menu item. Altaro will display a files of type
· ESRI ASCII Raster (*.asc) Easting/Northing Format

· ESRI ASCII Raster (*.txt) Latitude/Longtitude Format
· ASSET Clutter Raster (index.txt) Easting/Northing Format with multiple tiles
indexed in the index file
· ODYSSEY Clutter (list.*) Easting/Northing Format with multiple tiles
Raster indexed in a list file
· PlanetEV (*.grc) Easting/Northing Format
· Wizard (*.clu) Inverted Latitude/Longitude Format
For both ESRI raster formats and the SUN raster formats Altaro will only import a single file at a
time. Therefore if the optimisation area extended over a boundary between two files these would
need to be imported separately. In the case that the data has come form either the ODYSSEY or
ASSET radio planning tools then multiple tiles may be indexed via either the LIST or INDEX files.
In this case Altaro will import all of the tiles defined within the index file.
Further details on expected file formats can be found within the File Formats Section, please also
refer to the radio planning tool owners manual.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.3.5 Traffic Map Import

Traffic maps can be imported using the Import\Traffic menu item. Altaro will display a files of type
Traffic maps are required should the user wish to perform simulation as part of the optimisation
loop.
NB: For TDMA projects the traffic map should be defined as milliErlangs/Km2. For UMTS projects
the traffic map should be defined as milliUsers/Km2.
· ESRI ASCII Raster (*.asc) Easting/Northing Format

· ESRI ASCII Raster (*.txt) Latitude/Longitude Format
· ASSET Traffic (*.tri) Easting/Northing Format with the *.trr file referenced
Raster by the *.tri
· ODYSSEY Traffic (list.*) Easting/Northing Format with multiple tiles indexed in
Raster a list file
· PlanetEV Traffic (*.grc) Easting/Northing Format
Raster
For both ESRI raster formats, the SUN raster formats and the Asset *.tri format will only allow a
single file import at a time. Therefore if the optimisation area extends over a boundary between
two files these would need to be imported separately. In the case that the data has come form
the ODYSSEY radio planning tool then multiple tiles may be indexed via the LISTfile. In this case
Altaro will import all of the tiles defined within the file.
For further details on these file formats please refer to the appropriate owners manual.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.3.6 Polygon Import

Altaro offers the user the ability to import a number of generic and specific vector formats for use
within a project.
Polygons can be imported into Altaro via the Import\Polygons menu item
Two further options exist:
· Import Polygons asWhen the polygon is required to form the basis of an optimisation or
Zones calculation zone
· Import Polygons asWhen polygon(s) are required to form the basis of a regions
Raster map/traffic map etc.
Polygon formats supported by Altaro include
· MapInfo *.MIF MapInfo Interchange Format

· MapInfo *.tab MapInfo Tabular Format
· ESRI *.shp ESRI Shape Format
· Odyssey *.* Odyssey Proprietary Vector Format
· Asset *.vbf Asset Proprietary Vector Format
For details on particular formats please refer to the appropriate owners manual.
4.3.6.1 Polygons as Zones

On selecting the Polygons as zones functionality the user is displayed a files of type dialogue
where the various polygon formats are listed within the drop down. The user may then select the
appropriate format and navigate to the location where the polygons are stored. Many polygons
can be imported simultaneously although all files do have to be of the same type.
Each imported polygon file is populated into the map legend.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

To use the imported polygon as the calculation or optimisation zone

1. Select Normal Cursor from the map toolbar
2. Right click on the appropriate polygon and select set as calculation zone or set as
optimisation zone as required
3. Once chosen the outline should be displayed in red or green as appropriate.
4.3.6.2 Polygons as Raster

The import polygons as raster functionality allows the user to turn a polygon(s) into a raster that
can be used as the basis for a regions or traffic map. Individual elements within the files can also
be ordered relative to one another.
1. Select import Polygons as Raster from the Import menu item
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2. Altaro presents the user with a files of type chooser to select the desired polygon file(s).
Multiple files can be selected although it is required they are of the same type.
3. Clicking on open lists each of the polygon elements which have been loaded. A single
polygon file may have many elements defined within it. Altaro treats these as separate
items as if they come from separate files. The naming convention adopted within the list
consists of filename followed by an id number to distinguish the order of the element
within the file.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4. Selecting an element within the table outlines that polygon in the map view. Individual
elements or groups of elements can then be moved up and moved down relative to one
another using the 'Move Up' and 'Move Down' buttons to the left of the table.
5. Polygon elements can also be removed by using the 'Remove' button or added by using
'Add', once ordering the polygons has been completed the user should click the 'Next>>'
button
6. The final phase is to assign values to the individual polygon elements. The same value can
be used on different elements but this will result in no differentiation between areas in the
output. If the output grid is to be used as a regions map these values are the region codes,
if it is to be used as a traffic map then the values should represent the traffic density
measured in milli users/km2.
7. It is also necessary to provide a calculation resolution at this stage and to specify whether
or not the output is to be displayed on the map - this defines only the resolution of the
output grid. When the optimiser is run it will interpolate this grid to the resolution as
defined in the optimiser settings dialogue.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8. On clicking 'Finish' the user is prompted for a save filename, the output is then saved and
displayed on the map (if this option has been selected)
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.3.7 Antenna Patterns

Altaro uses the standard Planet MSI file format for antennas. This is a standard format that is
used by many radio planning tools for import and export. The Planet format defines the antenna
pattern with information in the horizontal and vertical planes.
Antenna patterns can be imported into Altaro if the planning tool uses a different format. e.g.
Wizard and PlanetEV. In this case contact support@arieso.com in order to customise the
appropriate menu items.
Altaro can utilise additional information written into the antenna pattern files that is not normally
included in the MSI file format. The electrical tilt represented in a pattern can be identified with an
option extra line in the header, ELECTRICAL_TILT. When this line is present Altaro can consider
the electrical tilt applied to cells and can factor this into the constraints on combined tilt applied.
A final modification to the MSI format is the use of units against the antenna's GAIN field. This is
to allow Altaro to distinguish between dipole and isotropic representation of antenna performance
Detail of the expected format is provided below.
NAME 742212\742212_02T
ELECTRICAL_TILT 2
FREQUENCY 2140
GAIN 15.2 dBi
TILT ELECTRICAL
COMMENT
….additional fields
HORIZONTAL 360
0.0 0.0
1.0 0.0
2.0 0.0
3.0 0.0
4.0 0.1
5.0 0.1
6.0 0.2
7.0 0.2
8.0 0.3
……..lines to 359.0
VERTICAL 360
0.0 0.3
1.0 0.1
2.0 0.0
……..lines to 359.0
Antenna patterns available to Altaro should be stored in the directory specified within the Project
Options dialogue.
ASSET Users - Altaro will load Asset antenna patterns directly from the xml on import if they are
referenced within the index file.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.4 Setting up Services

Simulating within the optimisation loop is one of the key strengths of Altaro, allowing grade of
service (GoS) to be considered as an optimisation KPI alongside coverage and interference.
Setting up services is only relevant to UMTS projects.
Altaro can model an unlimited number of services each with independant traffic maps, if required.
Example services may be Voice, Video and Web.
To set-up services select the services item from the network menu.
If services have not previously been set-up within the project then a prompt will be delivered
asking whether a new service is to be added to the project.
If the answer to the previous question is yes then a further dialogue will appear.
· The default settings are suitable for voice services but any parameters can be changed to
reflect desired values.
· The service definition needs to be linked to a traffic distribution (traffic map) which should
already be imported into the project. Traffic maps imported into the project can be chosen
from the drop-down, alternatively the browse button can be used
· To add another service use the Add New item, an additional tab will be created with
further settings included.
· Enter the service name and amend the service parameters as appropriate. Again any
additional services should be linked to a traffic map.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Use the Apply button to save service definitions, on reloading the project any service
names entered will be present in the service tabs
· If traffic maps require manipulation use the Map Calculator functionality.
Traffic maps within Altaro should be defined as the number of simultaneous milli-users per km2.
For details on setting appropriate activity factors consult Defining Activity Factors
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.5 Setting Up Height

Setting the appropriate height layer for the optimisation exercise is achieved through using the
geographic data dialogue is available from the Optimisation\Geographic Data menu item or from
the optimiser toolbar
The height layer is important for Altaro in order to correctly determine the BS-MS angles during
the optimisation process.
To set a height layer check "Use Height Data" from the dialogue and select the layer that was
defined during the import of terrain data.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.6 Setting up Regions

Regions Planning is used by Altaro to allow different planning targets to be specified in different
areas of the calculation zone. Thus allowing adjacent urban and suburban areas to be optimised
simultaneously. In addition weights can be applied to the different regions to ensure that a
balance is acheived between the different areas.
Setting the appropriate regions layer for the optimisation exercise is achieved through using the
geographic data dialogue This is available from the Optimisation\Geographic Data menu item or
from the optimiser toolbar
Different regions can be defined within a project and Altaro can be instructed to optimise these
with a different importance/weight and a different targets for Ec and Ec/Io thresholds. Regions
can be set-up using clutter import or imported polygons
From the Geographic data dialogue check 'Use Planning Regions Data' and select the appropriate
file/layer to use. A name for the regions file and a description can also entered.
For each region it is necessary to define a name in the 'Region' column and a code for this region.
The code links the description to the value contained within the clutter map - i.e. it forms an index
between numeric value and description.
Individual thresholds can be specified within the optimiser settings dialog for each of these
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

defined regions. The Regions thresholds can be exported (as xml file) or imported (if already
set-up) from a previous project.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

4.7 Setting up Antenna Types

Antenna Types are logical groupings of antenna patterns that represent the possible
configurations of a physical antenna. Typically an antenna type will group together each of the
antenna patterns that represent the performance of an antenna at different levels of electrical
downtilt. The Antenna Types Manager is used to compile these groups of patterns and define
overall characteristics of the physical antenna.
The Antenna Manager is available from Optimisation\Antennas\Antenna Types, or via toolbar

shortcuts.
To create a new Antenna Type
· Press New and enter the details of a New Antenna Type
· Give a user-defined Name for an Antenna Type and add all patterns that will be associated
with it
· Enter additional fields for Manufacturer and Description (if required)
· Enter Mechanical Tilt Limits of the Antenna Type - (these are the Antenna Bracket limits,
not the Radio Planning constraints)
NOTE: The mechanical tilt limits are used together with the limits that may be set for
each cell. Altaro will constrain the mechanical tilt to be written within the smaller of the
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

limits set for the type and the cell
· Enter a cost value associated with changing between different patterns within the same
type (i.e. the cost of changing the electrical tilt)
· Enter a cost value associated with changing to the specific Antenna Type (i.e.the cost of
performing an Antenna Swap Out)
· Press "Add Pattern" button and a new selection dialogue box will appear.
· Select or multi-select (using CTRL and/or SHIFT Keys) the specific antenna patterns to
be associated with the defined Antenna Type
· Click on "Add Pattern" to commit these patterns to the newly defined Antenna Type
· Repeat the preceding steps to add further new Antenna Types as necessary
· Antenna Types can be deleted using the Delete button
· Individual antenna patterns can also be deleted within an Antenna Type if required by
highlighting the specific Antenna Pattern and clicking "Delete"
· Click "OK" to finally commit Antenna Types to Altaro
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Part
Altaro Optimisation
5
5 Altaro Optimisation
This sections deals with how to get the most appropriate, accurate and realistic results from the
optimiser. It is broken into four sections
1. Optimiser Configuration
2. Constraints
3. Running the Optimisation
4. Examining the Results
The configuration section includes descriptions of the Key Performance indicators how they are
used and they can be adjusted to modify any results. The setting constraints section deals with
the constraints that can be modelled inside the optimiser what they mean and precedence applied
to constraints. The running the optimisation section deals with the results and displays produced
as the tool as running and the final section gives an overview of the results generated and talks
through some of the analysis methods present within the product.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Altaro Optimisation 103
5.1 Optimiser Configuration

Setting up the optimiser is critical to producing the desired results which meet expectations.
This section will follow a number of steps to setting up the optimiser,
1. Defining the optimisation limits (constraints) for sites and sectors

2. Defining the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the exercise
3. Constructing Cost-Benefit criteria for the optimisation run
4. Introducing Measurements into the optimisation process
5. Setting the Calculation Resolution
Once the above steps have been completed Altaro will be fully configured to start an optimisation
exercise.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.1.1 Optimisation Settings

The optimiser settings GUIs primary purpose is to provide one place where all parameters
appropriate to an optimisation exercise can be configured. The settings GUI is available from
either the Optimiser Toolbar or from Optimisation\Settings menu item.
The Settings GUI maintains the following settings. The while the organisation and structure is
similar for all technologies there are some differences in KPIs and definitions which depend upon
the technology layer being optimised. These are described in the following sections. The settings
GUI is broken down into the following sections:
· Key Performance Indicators Maintains the KPI targetsm thresholds and importance
weightings
· Optimisation Parameters Defines the parameters available for optimisation, the range
of changes allowed and the cost of making changes
· Traffic and Simulations Defines the services, traffic maps and simulation parameters
used in optimisation
· Measurements Specifies the measurement files to use, their importance
and mappings between Altaro fields and fields presented in
the measurement file
These individual items are described further in the following sections.
5.1.1.1 KPI Targets & Thresholds

The first page, Key Performance Indicators, allows the user to set the high level targets and
thresholds for the network design.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The KPIs page consists of three elements
Key Performance Indicators Frame

This contains the KPIs that the optimiser will work to maximise, it allows the user to
specify whether or not they wish to consider the KPI at all the target which they want to
aim towards and the relative importance of each KPI to each other.
The KPIs available vary between technologies. For UMTS projects the KPIs available are
· RSCP Coverage
· Pilot Ec/Io
· Grade of Service
· Non-Overshoot
For GSM projects the KPIs available for optimisation are

· BCCH Coverage
· Captured Traffic
· Dominance
· Non-Overshoot
To use a KPI the 'Use' checkbox should be checked. If it is not checked then the optimiser
will not consider the KPI and may worsen the performance of the network in this respect.
A target value can be set for each KPI this is represented as a percentage of the area or
traffic that is satisified to the desired threshold level. If the optimiser meets the target
the optimiser dialog will display a green tick mark showing that it has been satisfied. In
the event that all KPIs have been satisfied to the desired threshold the dialog will display
green ticks for all and Altaro will not trade off below the threshold level. The performance
of the network to the desired KPI is then guaranteed and any further changes will not
sacrifice performance below this point.
An importance value can also be specified. This allows the user to specify the relative
importance of one KPI to another. For instance if, in a GSM project the user specified
BCCH coverage : Captured Traffic weighting as 2:1 then the optimiser would put twice the
importance on achieving coverage improvements than on capturing traffic.
KPI Levels Frame

The KPI levels frame allows the user to specify additionally definition for some KPIs. Again
some differences exist between UMTS and GSM projects.
In UMTS projects this frame will contain three fields

· Number of Polluting Cells
· Pollution Window
· Expected Cell Radius
The "Number of Polluting Cells" is defined as the minimum number of cells whose CPICH
Ec/Io's are within "Pollution Window" of one another. In most cases "Number of Polluting
Cells" =ASS +1, i.e. if CPICH Ec/Io is comparable to ASS Ec/Io's but can't be added to the
AS then it is considered as a pilot polluter. Pilot pollution area is reported by Altaro and is
minimised to ensure a good network design.
The expected cell radius specifies the maximum allowed radius globally for each cell
before which the cell is considered to be overshooting. If the Non-overshoot KPI is used
then Altaro will attempt to reduce the footprint of all cells to ensure they fall within the
expected cell radius.
In GSM projects this frame again contains three fields
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Number of Servers
· Dominance Threshold
· Expected Cell Radius
The Number of Servers and Dominance Threshold are used to specify the number of
servers allowed within a given margin of the best server, in terms of BCCH power. Altaro
will attempt to optimise the network so that as many points as possible satisfy these
levels if the dominance KPI is being used.
As in UMTS the expected cell radius specifies the maximum allowed radius globally for
each cell before which the cell is considered to be overshooting. If the Non-overshoot KPI
is used then Altaro will attempt to reduce the footprint of all cells to ensure they fall
within the expected cell radius.
Regions and Thresholds Frame

The regions and thresholds frame is used to specify the threshold levels for each KPI and
the relative weight of each region to one another. Regions will only be visible if they have
been defined in the Geographic Data dialog.
The thresholds are the levels for the physical radio parameters that Altaro is optimising.
e.g. if the coverage threshold is -82dBm and the target is 95% of the area Altaro will
attempt to achieve the -82dBm level over 95% of the area or greater. Different thresholds
can be specified for different regions so a dense urban region can be planned to a more
stringent target than a suburban region.
Altaro also allows a weight to be specified for each region, this allows a user to prioritise a
dense urban region with respect to a suburban region.
5.1.1.2 Global Parameters
The second page of the dialog is used to specify the optimisation parameters. These include the
maximium and minimum range of changes allowed globally (individual site limits may exceed
these) and the costs associated with these changes.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The dialog consists of three frames.

Optimisation Parameters
The optimisation parameters frame allows the user to specify which parameters they wish
to optimise. Whether a site visit is incurred if the parameter is changed. The cost of
changing the parameter and the range in which the parameter can be modified.
· Optimise? is used to specify if the parameter is allowed to be changed by the

optimiser
· Site Visit? specifies whether or not changing the parameter will incur a site visit. In the
above example changing power on a sector does not incur a site visit but changing
azimuth, mechanical tilt or antenna type will
· Change Cost - This is the cost of change for the particular parameter. If a site visit
cost is enabled for changing a parameter then the change cost is incurred on top of the
site visit cost
· Minimum - Specifies the minimum value allowed for each parameter. This is the global
minimum and can be superceeded by the local minimum for a particular cell set within
the sectors table
· Maximum - Specifies the maximum value allowed for each parameter. This is the
global maximum and can be superceeded by the local maximum for a particular cell set
within the sectors table
· Site Visit Cost - Is the cost incurred to visit a site. A site visit cost is only incurred
when the first parameter (requiring a site visit) is changed. All subsequent parameters
on a site which require a change only incur the change cost
If the optimiser is allowed to change mechanical tilt and/or azimuth then it may be
necessary to specify additional parameters as defined in the RF parameters sub-page
NB: Altaro only considers costs when all of the defined KPI targets, on the Key
Performance Indicators tab have been met. If the targets are never met then the Change
of Cost elements of this GUI will not be considered. Once all KPI targets are acheived then
cost of change and site costs are used.
Site Selection Frame

This is used to determine whether or not site selection is to be performed, and, the cost
of adding or removing sites. To enable site selection the 'Perform Site Selection' checkbox
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

should be checked and the costs for each site type should be entered.
NB: entering a positive Live cost represents a value for each site that is live on the
network, removing a Live site will therefore results in a cost saving of . Entering a
negative cost in this field will mean that removing a live site actually adds a cost to the
network i.e. acts like a decommissioning cost.
Maximum Changes
The maximum changes column allows the user to specify a maximum budget for the
optimisation exercise. If a maximum budget is specified Altaro will not choose a design
which would require a greater cost to implement than specified in the budget.
The RF parameters page is used to define additional RF constraints which become relevant if
azimuth and/or mechanical tilts are allowed to be changed.
If the mechanical tilt of a site can be changed then the total tilt applied on a site becomes the
sum of both electrical tilt and mechanical tilt. It becomes necessary to limit these using the
minimum and maximum combined tilt fields defined here.
The inter-sector angle field is used to maintain a minimum separation between antennas on the
same site. This can either be varied or fixed with the same separation as the starting network.
5.1.1.3 Traffic and Simulations

The traffic and simulations page is used to specify traffic maps, users and simulation parameters
for both GSM and UMTS projects. GSM projects contain only a single service where UMTS projects
can contain an unlimited number dependant upon those which have been defined in the services
dialog.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The dialog consists of two frames.
Traffic Distributions and Simulations Frame

If the optimisation project technology is GSM only a single service, defined as traffic will
be listed. For UMTS projects the services as defined in the services dialog will be listed.
To enable simulations the 'Perform Simulations' checkbox should be checked. For UMTS
projects this means that the evaluation of uplink and downlink performance will be
performed and optimised, similarly in the GSM the lost traffic metric will be calculated and
optimised.
For each service it is possible to specify the following
· Use? Defines whether or not to use the service during simulation

· Traffic Distribution The traffic map used for the service. Different services can use
Map the same or different traffic maps. To be available for selection a
traffic map should exist within the traffic folder and also be
present on the map
· Number of Users This can either be 'Scaled from Map' or 'Specified Number'. If
'Scaled from Map' is chosen Altaro will calculate the number of
users/erlangs on the basis of the defined traffic map and Quantity
scale factor. If 'Specified Number' is chosen then Altaro will place
the specified number of users, according to the traffic map
distribution, within the calculation zone (red zone).
· Quantity The number of users to consider this is either a scale factor, if
'Scaled from Map' is chosen or an absolute number if 'Specified
number' is selected in the quantity column
Simulation Parameters
The simulation parameters frame defines additional information relevant to the simulation.
The required information will vary between TDMA and UMTS projects.
For UMTS projects the following information is required
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Active Set Size Maximum allowed number of cells that can be combined in soft
handover in the downlink. In most cases this is typically 3 and a
function of the rake receiver architecture in the Node B
· Active Set Is the maximum difference allowed between the best serving Ec/Io
Threshold and any other cells Ec/Io in order to be added to the active set
· Maximum Noise This sets the network wide limit for UL load e.g. 50% loading
Rise =3dB, 75% loading = 6dB etc. A BS-MS connection will be
rejected if the connection would take noise rise of the cell above
this maximum noise rise limit
· Minimum Link This value represents the absolute minimum CPICH required to
Signal Strength establish service to a MS. If an MS is in an area < Min Signal
Strength Threshold then the MS is rejected as "No DL Coverage"
In GSM projects the following information is required
· Handover Margin This is used to calculate the percentage of the service area in
handover. This value should represent the average handover value
5.1.1.4 Working with Measurements

The measurements tab of the optimisation settings dialogue allows the user to utilise
measurements and predictions in the optimisation process.
When measurements are used Altaro can optimise in two ways
· Optimise Measured Optimises only along the measured route, this is useful for
Areas Only situations such as regulatory drive routes, highways passing
through open countryside etc.
· Optimise Measured and Factors measurements and predictions together to give a more
Predicted Areas realistic view of the network at the time of measurements. If this
option is selected an importance weighting can be set for
measurements over predictions
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Measured Areas to Predicted Areas Importance

· When optimising measured and predicted areas jointly Altaro request that the user enter a
weighting to consider the measurement data priority in relation to the predicted data
· This value, M should be equal to:
M=( sPredictions)2/ (sMeasurements)2

Where:
sPredictions is the standard deviation of error associated with predictions (e.g.

8-9dB)
s Measurements is the standard deviation of error associated with measurements

(e.g. 2-3dB)
· This ensures that Altaro will use the expected value for an associated bin, based upon two
sources of data with different standard deviations of error
Measurement Folder and File Types

· The location of the survey measurement files should be selected within the measurements
folder window and the type of file should also be specified
· If the type is selected as NEMO then the 'Mapping...' button will becoming greyed out, if the
type is Agilent or TEMS then it is necessary to create a mapping between Altaro field and field
within the measurement file
Create Measurements Mapping

· In the case of TEMS and Agilent it is necessary for the user to create a mapping between
measured fields and Altaro required fields
· This is because different hardware or software revisions produce different format files.
The mappings dialogue is shown below
· This dialogue works in the same way as the CSV import dialogue
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· The user is presented with the fields within the source data on the left hand side and the
Altaro fields on the right
· The fields in the source data should be selected (it is possible to multi-select using
CTRL+CLICK or SHIFT+CLICK) and the appropriate Altaro field should also be selected
· On clicking '< Associate' Altaro will create the mapping between the Altaro field and source
data field
· The created mappings are displayed in the right most columns of the Imported fields table.
· When scrambling code and Ec fields have been mapped appropriately use click OK to exit the
dialogue.
· Altaro will remember the mappings created and displays a dialogue to allow the user to name
the mapping system used.
· On loading files at a later date the same mapping will be preserved saving the need for
re-creating the mappings
Measurement Attenuation & Source Co-ordinates

· If measurements were collected and subject to an attenuation (e.g. were recorded using a
receiver inside a vehicle or using excessive in-car feeder lengths) then enter the
"Measurement Attenuation" factor relative to a typical reference MS terminal. This is normally
set to 0dB, given a survey vehicle Antenna has ~2dBi gain, but 2dB feeder
· Finally select the source co-ordinate system for the measurement data x/y columns. This is
normally WGS84 (from GPS receiver), but the user can select Local Lat/Long or Local
Easting/Northing
For further details on how Altaro uses measurements see the section entitled 'How Measurements
are Used'
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.2 Constraints
Constraints aim to capture any practical limiting factors that might exist on a site or might exist
with a particular piece of equipment. Constraints can be set locally, i.e. on a specific sector or they
can be applied globally on all sectors. The table below details the constraints and whether they
are applied at the local or global level. In the event that a constraint is set both globally and
locally then the minimum range between the two constraints is used.
e.g. Global constraint for CPICH power is between 28-34dBm and for a particular site the
range is set to 32-36dBm. In this situation the minimum range between the two 32-34dBm
will be used.
The following table summarises the limits to optimisation which can be configured within Altaro.
· Power The minimum and maximum range within which the power can vary - for GSM
projects this will be the BCCH power, for UMTS the CPICH power
· Antenna The range of Antenna patterns as defined in the Antenna Set
Set
· Mechanica The range of mechanical tilt that may be applied on the sector
l Tilt
· Combined The total minimum and maximum tilt that can be applied on that sector
Tilt
· Antenna The minimum and maximum azimuth range that can be applied to the sector
Azimuth
· Inter-Sect Specifies whether the antennas on a site move relative to one another or
or Angle independently
· Site Types Specifies the type of site
· Site StatusSpecifies whether a site is live or not
In addition to these site/sector level constraints there also exist a number of constraints which can
be applied at the antenna type level, these include an inter-sector separation angle for a particular
antenna type and a minimum and maximum mechanical tilt which can be applied. In the event
that there exists a conflict between constraints at the cell level and constraints specified for an
antenna type the minimum range of the two will be applied.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

In order to use cell level constraints it is necessary to set the 'Use-limits' flag within the Sectors
table to True.
Additionally if the sectors table contains -999 in one or more of the constraints fields this signifies
the global constraint is to be used, these are set within the optimiser settings dialogue. If the
value contained is not -999 then the optimiser will use this value in preference to that contained
within optimiser settings. -999 is considered the NULL value for constraints fields.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.2.1 Site Types and Status

Altaro site types are set in the site attributes table. Entries must be spelt exactly as shown
correctly otherwise an error will be reported in the events window.
In the Site_Type column it is possible to edit some or all of the entries depending upon the
selection. These definitions are only used if Site Selection is chosen as an optimisation freedom.
· NEW 3G These are candidate sites. Altaro ignores this type of site when calculating
statistics for the "original" network but considers it for inclusion in the optimised
networks
· NEW The equivalent of 'NEW 3G' when dealing with GSM networks
· LIVE These are existing sites
· UPGRAD There are sites that are candidates for upgrading to the current technology
E sites. Altaro ignores this type of site when calculating statistics for the "original"
network, but considers it for inclusion in the optimised network
· LOCKED Locked sites are those sites that contribute to the interference analysis but
whose parameter settings will not be optimised
In the status column it is possible to edit the values to ACTIVE or INACTIVE. ACTIVE sites are
considered to be transmitting, INACTIVE sites are not transmitting and will not be modified during
optimisation (no matter what the Site Type).
For the purposes of optimisation Altaro ignores all sites located outside of the computation zone or
whose Site Status is set to INACTIVE. Altaro assumes all sites located inside the calculation zone
but outside of the optimisation zone are of type LOCKED and consequently they will not be
modified during optimisation. The type of all other sites (i.e. those active sites inside the
optimisation zone) can be defined in the Site Table. If a site type is not defined then Altaro uses
the default type LIVE.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.2.2 Power
Altaro allow the user to specify the following power limits
For UMTS Projects

· Minimum CPICH Power (dBm)
· Maximum CPICH Power (dBm)
· CPICH Step Size (dBm)
Min, Max and Step size for CPICH powers can be non-integer
For GSM Projects

· Minimum BCCH Power (dBm)
· Maximum BCCH Power (dBm)
· BCCH Step Size (dBm)
Min, Max and Step size for BCCH can be non-integer
Altaro modifies and reports on the power transmitted from a particular sector within the specified
limits. While only the CPICH/BCCH is reported on within the HTML and Excel Reports it should be
noted that in changing the CPICH all other common and synchronisation channel powers are
scaled in relation to the CPICH on UMTS projects.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.2.3 Antenna Sets

Antenna Sets are used to define the choice of antennas available for Altaro to select from for a
particular sector or sectors. The antenna sets menu can be reached from either
Optimisation\Antennas\Antenna Sets or from the Optimiser Settings Dialogue.
To define a new antenna set open the Antenna Sets menu item - the Antenna Set Editor will be
displayed. Right click to get "Add Antenna Set" and then name the set e.g. "Set_1"
NB: This exact name must be used when allocating sets in the Sector Attributes Table.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Right clicking on the newly created Antenna set will offer the following choices
· Add Antenna Allows a single or multiple patterns to be added to the set

Pattern
· Add Antenna Allows a previously created Antenna Type (group of patterns as created
Type by the Antenna Type Manager) to be added to the set
· Rename Allows the Antenna Set to be renamed
Antenna Set
· Delete Antenna Deletes the Antenna Set
Set
Add Pattern
On selecting Add Antenna Pattern the list of antenna patterns as saved in the common folder will
be displayed. It is then possible to select or multi-select using CTRL+CLICK or SHIFT+CLICK
Clicking "Add Pattern" will add the selected Antenna Patterns to the Antenna Set.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Add Type
On selecting Add Antenna Type the list of Antenna Types available is displayed, single or multiple
types can then be selected and added to the set.
Altaro allows a set to contain a mix of antenna types and patterns, as shown above. However if an
Antenna Pattern already exists within an Antenna Type then it is not possible to add the pattern
independently of the set.
Having defined the available antenna sets you can then allocate them to individual sectors or
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

apply globally within the Sector Attribute Table.
Set names must be spelt exactly as they were defined in the Antenna Sets otherwise a warning
message will be displayed in the events window on starting the optimiser.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.2.4 Tilt Range

Altaro allow the user to specify the following tilt limits
· Minimum Combined Tilt in Degrees (Min_tilt)

· Maximum Combined Tilt in Degrees (Max_tilt)
· Minimum Mechanical Tilt in Degrees (Min Mech tilt)
· Maximum Mechanical Tilt in Degrees (Max Mech tilt)
· Tilt_step
Limits for Mechanical and Combined tilts are entered into the Sectors Table
Combined tilt is defined as the sum of mechanical tilt and electrical tilt (which is read from the
antenna pattern file). In practical situations the user would define an antenna type which includes
a range of electrical tilts. Altaro is then able to choose a combination of mechanical tilts and
antenna patterns such that the overall - combined tilt constraint is not exceeded. There may be a
number of combinations of electrical and mechanical tilts which satisfy the constraint. The tilt step
is the mechanical tilt step and specifies the number of intervals between the minimum and
maximum mechanical tilt limits. The electrical tilt step is defined implicitly from the members of
the antenna set.
NB: Altaro defines Down-Tilt as positive, Up-tilt is negative and numbers are absolute about the
horizontal not relative to the starting condition.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.2.5 Azimuth
Antenna azimuth limits are relative to the starting condition.
· Acw_ac Defined as the anti-clockwise azimuth away from the present

m
· Cw_azm Defined as the clockwise azimuth range away from the present
In the above example siteId 000566:UMTS 1 has, on all sectors a range of +-60 degrees on the
azimuth, with the optimiser allowed to take steps of 10 degrees. Likewise site 001925:UMTS 1 has
a range of +/-40 degrees away from the azimuth, again with a 10 degree step size. Step size is
measured from the current therefore if the range is not fully divisible by the step then Altaro will
not explore to the limit of azimuth.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.2.6 Inter-Sector Angle

Altaro offers the ability to specify whether the angle between sectors, the inter-sector angle,
should be fixed or variable. If the inter-sector angle is fixed then moving one antenna in the
clockwise direction by 30 degrees will mean that all antennas on the site will move by 30 degrees
relative to there original position. If the inter-sector angle is variable then azimuth selection is
independent of other sectors on the same site, although still constrained by a minimum
inter-sector angle which can be specified either by Antenna Type or globally.
Inter-sector angle is specified within the Sites Table and can take the following values
· FIXED
· VARIABLE
Note: It is important that the text is spelt correctly within the table otherwise Altaro will deliver
warnings into the events window.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.3 Running Altaro Optimisation

Once the network has been loaded, geographic data is set-up, antenna types and sets are
configured and the key KPIs are specified, the project is ready to run.
To start the optimiser choose Optimisation\Run Optimiser
Before starting the optimisation process Altaro performs a number of integrity checks to ensure
that the optimisation process can proceed. If any errors are found the optimiser will stop and
display an error message in the Events Window, in addition any warning messages will also be
delivered to the Events Window.
If all integrity checks are passed then the Optimiser goes through an initialisation stage, here all
prediction data, geographic data, measurements etc. are read into the computer memory. During
this process an progress bar is displayed, showing progress of the current item and overall
progress.
Once all data are loaded the Optimisation Progress Window appears.
The form and results generated by Altaro will be dependant upon the technology type being
optimised.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.3.1 UMTS Optimiser Results

5.3.1.1 Optimiser Dialogue
After initialisation is complete the optimiser calculates initial KPIs and performance results. (If
traffic is being used then this can take some time as a full Monte-Carlo simulation is being
performed).
In the right hand column statistics are provided for the optimised network and this can be
compared with the original network statistics on the left.
The KPI statistics for the best found solution are displayed to the user. As well as the overall
network quality measures, the dialogue provides details of the number of failed mobile users in
each case and indicates to the user how Altaro is improving the original design.
The optimisation progress window will indicate a Tick once the minimum KPI target has been
reached. When all KPIs are ticked cost factors are used within the optimisation.
A number of secondary performance indicators also exist - for UMTS projects these are
· Average Active Set Size
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Area in Soft(er) Handover

· Area with Pilot Pollution
In GSM projects the secondary indicators include

· Area in Handover
These indicators are not optimised through absolute targets or settings in Altaro but are merely
reported and provide a useful indication of the optimiser performance and generally improve with
the improvement of other KPIs.
Whilst the optimiser is running the user may continue working with Altaro but will be prevented
from running multiple sessions of optimisation. While every effort is made to ensure that Altaro
uses memory and processor time as efficiently as possible it is likely that the PC on which Altaro is
running will slow down and if the optimisation task requires a memory allocation grater than that
which is available on the machine the PC will slow down considerablely.
The user can either wait to for Altaro to complete by itself or interrupt it by pressing the stop
button. If the stop button is pressed the user can.
· Stop and discard results
· Stop and Keep results
· Continue optimising
During an optimisation run the user may view a more detailed log of the network segment being
planned and optimised, this is achieved by clicking on the View button.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The results produced will vary dependant upon the technology layer being optimised. For UMTS
projects the following options exist:
· Results Log
· Progress Graphs
· Histograms
Note: The KPI's are only true absolute Area % metrics above globally defined thresholds when
Regions Planning is not carried out and measurements are not used. Both regions planning and
measurements apply different weightings and also different thresholds, consequently it is not
possible to treat the displayed statistics as absolute values.
5.3.1.2 HTML Results

The HTML results page is produced throughout the optimisation process. It summarises the latest
design and displays the high level statistics for the exercise.
The report is broken down into a number of sections
· Header Details time, date and number of users in the optimisation exercise
· Overall Headlines for New, upgraded and live sites.
Statistics Overall coverage and interference statistics
Overall Simulation Statistics
Active Set, Handoff Area and Pilot Pollution Statistics
· Regions Coverage and Interference statistics broken down by regions
Statistics
· Simulation Final simulation results giving reasons for failure in the uplink and
Statistics downlink
· Transmitter Final configuration information for sites
Parameters
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Header & Overall Statistics
· New 3G TRXs Number of new 3G cells A count will appear in this row if sites have
added as part of the been allocated as type NEW 3G
optimisation
· Upgrade TRXs Number of upgraded cells A count will appear in this row if sites have
added as part of the been allocated as type UPGRADE
optimisation
· Live TRXs Number of live cells on the This includes only sites originally specified as
network site type LIVE and may reduce as part of the
optimisation exercise
· % Ec/Io Area % Area that meets Ec/Io If regions are used this value becomes a
threshold weighted sum of the individual regional
performance (see Calculation of Coverage
Statistics)
· % Coverage % Area that meets the RSCP If regions are used this value becomes a
Area coverage threshold weighted sum of the individual regional
performance (see Calculation of Coverage
Statistics)
· % % Area that meets the The % of pixels that are not considered as
Non-overshoot non-overshoot threshold overshooting the maximum defined radius for
Area that cell
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· % User % of the total number of The sum of failed users within the Simulation
Rejection users who are unable to statistics/total number of users
connect to the network
· Average Active Average active set size over Calculated by summing the number of users
Set Size the optimisation area in the active set in each bin and then dividing
by the total number of bins
· % Handoff % of the total area Number of bins within the calculation area
Area considered to be in soft where more than one server is in the active
handoff set
· % Pilot % of the optimisation area Number of bins within the calculation zone
Pollution where pilot pollution exists where more than the defined number of
servers exist within the pollution window
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Regions
The regions table shows the absolute performance against the regional threshold for both
coverage and Ec/Io. Performance is measured as the percentage of the total area within the
region that meets the target. These values are not weighted.
In areas where regions are undefined the optimiser will use the global thresholds, specified
within the optimisation settings dialogue. Otherwise the settings as defined in the regions
dialogue will be used.
Simulation Statistics
The simulation statistics table shows the number of connection failures in simulation due to
the listed reasons.
· Max DL DCH Power The sum of the connections that have failed because the maximum
downlink DCH power for that service has been exceeded
· Max UL DCH Power The sum of the connections that have failed because the maximum
uplink DCH power for that service has been exceeded
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Max BS Power The sum of the connections that have failed because the maximum BS
power has been exceeded. If a maximum cell load has been applied
then connection will fail if the max_BS_Pow * cell load has been
exceeded
· Maximum Noise Rise The sum of the connections that have failed because the maximum
noise rise for the cell has been exceeded
· No Coverage Sum of the connections which fail because there is no cell with a
footprint at the same location as the mobile
· Max CE The sum of the connections that have failed because the maximum
number of channel elements for that cell have been exceeded
· Poor Ec/Io The sum of the connections that have failed because the minimum
Ec/Io threshold has been exceeded.
NA: The minimum Ec/Io threshold is defined as the Ec/Io planning
threshold within the optimiser settings dialogue.
· Poor Signal The sum of the connections that have failed because the minimum
coverage threshold has been exceeded
· Multiple Reasons The connection has failed for more than one reason e.g. poor Ec/Io
and Max BS Power
If no services have been defined for an exercise then this table will remain unpopulated. A
definition of the algorithms used to calculate whether or not a connection has been made can
be found in the technical reference element of this document.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Transmitter Parameters
Transmitter parameters table summarises the changes made to each network cell as well as
an indication of the resources used on the cell when simulation is considered.
· Transmitter SectorID defined within the Sectors Table

· Type Site Type defined within the Sites Table. A cell can also take
the value OFF if it has been turned off during the
optimisation process
· CPICH Power (dBm) Optimised CPICH power of the sector
· Antenna Optimised Antenna pattern filename of the sector
· Azimuth Optimised Antenna azimuth of the sector
· Downtilt Optimised Mechanical tilt of the sector
· Total DL Power (dBm) Total power used in the downlink including DCH power if
simulation is considered
· UL Noise Rise (dB) Uplink noise rise on the sector
· Number of CEs used Number of channel elements used on the sector
· Number Rejected Number of rejected users on each cell. This heading
includes 8 columns, these represent the failure reasons as
defined in the User Rejection Reasons Table
A change in background colour indicate a change in the cell configuration.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.3.1.3 Histograms
The histograms view provide a statistical view of the Coverage and Ec/Io improvement during
optimisation
The legend (red or green squares) can be clicked to display Original Only, Optimised Only or both
histograms
Clicking on the refresh button updates the histograms
5.3.1.4 Graphs
Altaro will inform the user that it has completed and has found the most optimial design where all
realistic parameter combinations have been exhausted.
The user can also stop the optimiser once the KPI graphs have converged as shown here.
For Example, during optimisation better solutions become harder to find and hence more time
consuming to find therefore a trade-off between user's time and optimisation KPIs exist.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The performance graphs give a good indication of whether it is worth stopping the optimiser, all
graphs become asymptotic i.e. flatten off, then the user may decide to stop the optimiser.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.3.2 GSM Optimiser Results

5.3.2.1 GSM Optimiser Dialog
After initialisation is complete the optimiser calculates initial KPIs and performance results.
In the right hand column statistics are provided for the optimised network and this can be
compared with the original network statistics on the left.
The KPI statistics for the best found solution are displayed to the user. As well as the overall
network quality measures, the dialogue provides details of the number of failed mobile users in
each case and indicates to the user how Altaro is improving the original design.
The optimisation progress window will indicate a Tick once the minimum KPI target has been
reached. When all KPIs are ticked cost factors are used within the optimisation. As a secondary
KPI Altaro also displays the area in handover.
These indicators are not optimised through absolute targets or settings in Altaro but are merely
reported and provide a useful indication of the optimiser performance and generally improve with
the improvement of other KPIs.
Whilst the optimiser is running the user may continue working with Altaro but will be prevented
from running multiple sessions of optimisation. While every effort is made to ensure that Altaro
uses memory and processor time as efficiently as possible it is likely that the PC on which Altaro is
running will slow down and if the optimisation task requires a memory allocation grater than that
which is available on the machine the PC will slow down considerablely.
The user can either wait to for Altaro to complete by itself or interrupt it by pressing the stop
button. If the stop button is pressed the user can.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Stop and discard results

· Stop and Keep results
· Continue optimising
During an optimisation run the user may view a more detailed log of the network segment being
planned and optimised, this is achieved by clicking on the View button.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The results produced will vary dependant upon the technology layer being optimised. For UMTS
projects the following options exist:
· Results Log
· Progress Graphs
· Histograms
Note: The KPI's are only true absolute Area % metrics above globally defined thresholds when
Regions Planning is not carried out and measurements are not used. Both regions planning and
measurements apply different weightings and also different thresholds, consequently it is not
possible to treat the displayed statistics as absolute values.
5.3.2.2 GSM HTML Results

The HTML results page is produced throughout the optimisation process. It summarises the latest
design and displays the high level statistics for the exercise.
The report is broken down into a number of sections
· Header Details time, date and number of users in the optimisation

exercise
· Overall Statistics Headlines for New, upgraded and live sites.
Overall coverage and dominance statistics
Handoff Area Statistics
· Regions Statistics Coverage and dominance statistics broken down by
regions
· Transmitter Parameters Final configuration information for sites
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Header & Overall Statistics
· New 3G TRXs Number of new cells added as part A count will appear in this row if sites
of the optimisation have been allocated as type NEW
· Upgrade TRXs Number of upgraded cells added as A count will appear in this row if sites
part of the optimisation have been allocated as type UPGRADE
· Live TRXs Number of live cells on the network This includes only sites originally
specified as site type LIVE and may
reduce as part of the optimisation
exercise
· % % Area that meets Dominance If regions are used this value becomes a
Dominance threshold weighted sum of the individual regional
Area performance (see Calculation of
Coverage Statistics)
· % Coverage % Area that meets the RSSI If regions are used this value becomes a
Area coverage threshold weighted sum of the individual regional
performance (see Calculation of
Coverage Statistics)
· % % of the area that meets the The % of pixels that are not considered
Non-Oversho non-overshoot threshold as overshooting the maximum defined
ot Area radius for that cell
· % Erlangs % of the offered Erlangs served by Calculated using the Erlang B formula
Served Altaro with a 2% blocking probability from the
defined traffic map
· % Handoff % of the total area considered to be Number of bins within the calculation
Area in handoff area where more than one server is in
the active set
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Regions
The regions table shows the absolute performance against the regional threshold for both
coverage and Dominance. Performance is measured as the percentage of the total area within
the region that meets the target. These values are not weighted.
In areas where regions are undefined the optimiser will use the global thresholds, specified
within the optimisation settings dialogue. Otherwise the settings as defined in the regions
dialogue will be used.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Transmitter Parameters
Transmitter parameters table summarises the changes made to each network cell as well as
an indication of the resources used on the cell when simulation is considered.
· Transmitter SectorID defined within the Sectors Table

· Type Site Type defined within the Sites Table. A cell can also take the
value OFF if it has been turned off during the optimisation process
· BCCH Power Optimised BCCH power of the sector
(dBm)
· Antenna Optimised Antenna pattern filename of the sector
· Azimuth Optimised Antenna azimuth of the sector
· Downtilt Optimised Mechanical tilt of the sector
· #TCH Number of TCHs utilised on the cell
· Capacity (Erlangs) Maximum cell capacity Erlangs
· Traffic Served The amount of traffic served on the cell (Erlangs)
(Erlangs)
· Traffic Lost The amount of traffic which falls within the footprint of the cell
(Erlangs) which is not served by the cell (Erlangs)
A change in background colour indicate a change in the cell configuration.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.3.2.3 Histograms
The histograms view provide a statistical view of the Coverage and Interferer count improvement
during optimisation
The legend (red or green squares) can be clicked to display Original Only, Optimised Only or both
histograms
Clicking on the refresh button updates the histograms
5.3.2.4 Graphs
Altaro will inform the user that it has completed and has found the most optimial design where all
realistic parameter combinations have been exhausted.
The user can also stop the optimiser once the KPI graphs have converged as shown here.
For Example, during optimisation better solutions become harder to find and hence more time
consuming to find therefore a trade-off between user's time and optimisation KPIs exist.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The performance graphs give a good indication of whether it is worth stopping the optimiser, all
graphs become asymptotic i.e. flatten off, then the user may decide to stop the optimiser.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4 Examining the Results

Altaro stores the results for each Optimisation run for each Project within the results explorer
shown on the left of the main window.
After optimisation has been completed the results can be commited back into Altaro. This is useful
if the user wants to do follow on exercises, e.g. looking at how the nextwork should develop over
time.
Results can be commited back into Altaro by right clicking on the Optimise folder within the
Results Explorer view. Right click on the the folder and select Commit. This will update the
contents of the sites and sectors tables with the new configuration from Altaro
NOTE: If masked predictions have been used then the results should not be commited without
updating preditions. If measurements have been used then the same set of measurements cannot
be re-used in any subsequent optimisation runs because the network representation in Altaro will
no longer match the configuration when measurements were taken.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

For each Optimisation run a folder is created which contains all the available outputs. Within the
folder there is a further level of classification to categorise by type of result.
· Plots
· Results
· Reports
· Parameters
These elements are described in more detail in the following sections.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.1 Plots
Within the Plots section Altaro gives the option for displaying a number of different plot types.
· Coverage Adds the before and after coverage plots to the map view GSM &
UMTS
· Ec/Io Adds the before and after Ec/Io plots to the map view UMTS only
· Dominance Adds the before and after dominance plots to the map view GSM only
· Sectors Shows the orientation of sectors before and after optimisation GSM &
UMTS
· Users Shows user failures/acceptance before and after optimisation UMTS
only
· Active Set Adds the before and after Active Set plots to the map view UMTS only
· Best Server Adds the before and after best server plots to the map view GSM &
UMTS
To view any layer either double click the item from the results explorer or right click and select
"View Optimise X's Coverage Plot". This will add two layers to the map window which will be
displayed in the form Plot_Type(Org/Opt Optimise X) where Plot_Type will be Coverage, Ec/Io
etc.
Once the selected layers have been displayed on the map the colour can be viewed within the
legend window. For coverage, Ec/Io and Active sets the colour scheme displayed can be edited
using the legend editor. Altaro will display these schemes using a pre-defined colour scheme.
These schemes can be edited either using the user settings functionality within the legend editor.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

When dealing with 'users' plots' again two layers are displayed. The optimised and original plots
indicate Mobile connections and failures geographically, with connected users being shown in
green and unsuccessful connections being displayed in red.
The sectors plot shows the locations and orientations respectively before and after optimisation. If
optimised sectors are displayed on the map from this it is possible to identify the new azimuths
relative to the old.
The above image shows the colour schemes used for both user plots (Connected & Failed) and
also for Sites (Active & Inactive).
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.2 Results
An addition series of results exist and these are described within this section. These are:
· Generated HTML HTML sheet summarising the changes and

statistics from the optimisation exercise
· Graphs Shows the progress of the optimiser during
this exercise
· Histograms Shows the before and after histograms of
network performance
· Optimised Active Cells Shows the optimised network configuration
for the active cells within the optimisation
zone
· Optimised All Cells Shows all the configuration of all sites
within the calculation zone after
optimisation
If a results document exists for the current optimisation exercise selecting one of these items from
the results explorer will result in a new tab being added to the document. If the results document
does not exist for the current exercise then the document will be created. A single document will
be created for each optimise folder although multiple documents can exist if the many optimise
exercises are being compared.
5.4.2.1 Generated HTML

The generated HTML displayed within the Results Document is identical in format to that
displayed when the optimiser is running. The Generated HTML when displayed will show the
optimiser configuration when the optimiser was stopped, it also displays the time and date that
the last result was written to the file.
Further details on the format of this document can be found in UMTS optimiser results for UMTS
projects and in GSM optimiser results for GSM projects
5.4.2.2 Graphs
The graphs sheets contains graphs showing the optimiser performance, against time, for all of the
key KPIs. The KPIs represented are
· % Coverage Area Weighted sum of coverage area meeting threshold against

time
· % Ec/Io Area Weighted sum of Ec/Io area meeting threshold against time
· % Users Rejected % of users unable to connect during simulation against time,
breakdown of reasons is shown in the HTML results sheet
· Number of Number of transmitters live on the network. This will only
Transmitter vary if site selection is enabled. The graph also shows
number of sites added of type UPGRADE and NEW 3G as
defined in the sites table
· % Handoff Area % Area in soft handoff
· % Non-Dominance % Area defined by pilot pollution parameters
Area
· % Non-Overshoot % Area defined by cell overshoot parameters
Area
· Average Active Set Average active set size over the optimisation area
Size
For GSM exercises the graphs displayed are
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· % Coverage Area Weighted sum of coverage area meeting threshold against

time
· % Dominance Area Weighted sum of Ec/Io area meeting threshold against time
· % Erlangs Lost % of users unable to connect during simulation against time,
breakdown of reasons is shown in the HTML results sheet
· Number of Number of transmitters live on the network. This will only
Transmitter vary if site selection is enabled. The graph also shows
number of sites added of type UPGRADE and NEW as defined
in the sites table
· % Handoff Area % Area in handoff
· % Non-Overshoot % Area defined by pilot pollution parameters
Area
If regions functionality is being used during optimisation then the results reported for coverage
and Ec/Io are the weighted sum of the performance in each individual region.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.2.3 Histograms
The histograms sheet shows histograms for coverage and Ec/Io or Dominance area. The
histograms show pictorially the performance of the optimiser statistically across the range of
values for either KPI. Histograms are a useful way of comparing the before and after performance
of the particular optimisation run. Generally it is possible to see that the mean values for coverage
and Ec/Io are improved during optimisation while simultaneously the standard deviation is
reduced.
If regions are being the histogram statistics are calculated based upon a weighted sum of the
individual region performance.
5.4.2.4 Optimised Cells Tables

Two tables are displayed within the results document
· Optimised Active Cells
· Optimised All Cells
The optimised Active Cells table contains information for only the cells which live in the network
post optimisation and exist within the optimisation zone.
The Optimised All Cells table contains information for all cells within the calculation zone including
those which have been turned off and those that are present within the Optimised All Cells table.
Both tables include the same data fields which summarise
· Transmitter ID The unique ID for the sector

· Refid A unique reference identifier - only relevant with some radio
planning tools
· TYPE Altaro site type
· Antenna Azimuth The optimised Antenna Azimuth
· Downtilt The optimised Antenna Mechanical Downtilt
· Power and Activity The optimised CPICH Power or BCCH (dBm) and activity factor
· Synch Powers and The optimised synch channel powers (dBm) and appropriate
Activities activity factors
(PSCH & SSCH) only used for UMTS projects
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Common Powers and The optimised common channel powers (dBm) and appropriate
Activities activity factors
(BCH, FACH, PCH & AICH) only used for UMTS projects
The contents of these tables are also available in a plain text (*.csv) files which can be readily
imported into a radio planning tool. The location of these are detailed in the Exported File Formats
Section of this document.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.3 Reports
The reports section of the results explorer contains the standard excel report - this summarises all
of the results displayed elsewhere in an easily useable and manageable format.
The Excel Report contains a number of tabs further details of the contents of which can be found
on the following pages.
· Summary Summary of the high level results

· History History of the optimiser performance
· Cells Listing of the new cell configurations
· Histograms Probability and cumulative density functions for Ec and Ec/Io
· Deltas Delta reports - shows the before and after from the optimisation and
the magnitude of change
· Optimiser Settings Shows the parameter settings used within the optimisation run
In order to generate these reports Altaro requires Microsoft Excel 2000, 2003 or XP to be installed
on the machine running Altaro. If Excel is not installed Altaro will display an error message
indicating that it is not possible to produce the report at the given time.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.3.1 Summary
The summary page of the Excel report contains a high level summary of all of statistics pre and
post optimisation.
The report summarises statistics for

· Number of New TRXs before and after
· Number of Upgraded TRXs before and after
· Number of Live TRXs
· % Ec/Io Area or % Dominance Area
· % Coverage Area
· % User rejection or % Erlangs Lost
· Average active set size (only UMTS projects)
· % Handoff Area
· % Pilot Pollution Area (only UMTS projects)
This table shows the absolute difference value between the original and optimised as well as
showing the relative gained area. Gained area is defined as the % of the available area that Altaro
has gained.
Summary graphs are also produced for:
· Service Areas % Ec/Io,% Dominance, % Coverage Area and %User Rejection or

% Erlangs Lost are displayed in this chart
· Resources Shows the number of TRXs deployed in each category, NEW 3G
and UPGRADE category
· Secondary KPIs Shows before and After percentages for Active Set, Handoff and
Pilot Pollution
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.3.2 History
The history page displays the optimiser history.
The table displays the statistics for every solution that is better than the last. i.e. if one design
scores more highly than the previous best then it is stored in memory as the current best. The
configuration of that design is updated in all of Altaro's reports and this tab within the excel report
displays statistics for all of the reported values against time.
The table includes statistics for number of live, upgrade and new sites, amount of coverage area,
ec/io areas and % of user rejections as well as the active set size, % handoff area and % non
dominance area. Automatic graphing is produced by the Altaro for the user.
5.4.3.3 Histograms
The histograms tab of the Optimisation report shows statistics for both cumulative density
functions and probability density functions.
For a continuous function the probability density function (pdf) is the probability that the variable
(in this case either coverage or Ec/Io) has the value x. Therefore for any range the probability will
always be less than or equal to one.
The cumulative distribution function (cdf) is the probability that the variable takes a value less
than or equal to x.
In summing the individual ranges within the pdf gives the resultant cdf.
Altaro displays four tables within the report
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

The two left hand tables display the original coverage and Ec/Io statistics, the two right hand
tables show the optimised coverage and Ec/Io statistics. Altaro creates the tables with 16 equally
spaced categories from the minimum to the maximum values for each range. The PDF column
indicates the probability that of a sample falling within the defined range, the CDF<= columns
shows the cumulative probability from the minimum values whereas the CDF>= shows the
cumulative probability from the maximum value. This format is consistent for all tables.
Altaro also provides plots of these data sets within the report.
These plots are produced as standard Excel scatter graphs and show the coverage CDF>= i.e.
there is 100% probability that the area will value of RSCP will be greater than or equal to the
minimum value. The Ec/Io graph shows the probability of a sample being within a particular
range.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.3.4 Cells
The cells list is a simple text format list which shows the changes made to cells on the network. It
does not add any highlighting or show the from and to results. These are shown on the deltas
sheet.
The representation within this sheet as one row per cell. If an OTSR configuration is being used
then the sheet will display parameters for all antennas on that cell on the same row.
5.4.3.5 Deltas
The deltas report shows original and optimised network configurations side by site. Any
parameters that have been changes as part of the optimisation process are highlighted. The
report also supports filtering - thus allowing quick referencing of those cells which have changed.
· The first column of the report indicates whether a site has been modified or not, if the flag
does not equal 'Yes' then no changes should have been implemented to any of the
parameters on the site
· The status column will indicate if the site has been turned off during the optimisation process
(can take the values ACTIVE or INACTIVE)
· Cellname and Antenna ID are static and will not change.
· Antenna column displays the before and after antenna patterns applied on the sector. If the
pattern has been changed as part of the optimisation process the appropriate cells are
highlighted
· Azimuth column contains the before and after values of azimuth per sector and also shows
the absolute difference from the original. Positive values indicate a clockwise rotation,
negative values indicate an anti-clockwise rotation
· Downtilt column contains the before and after vales of downtilt per sector and also shows the
absolute difference from the original. positive values indicate a downtilt, negative values
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

indicate an uptilt relative to the starting value.

· CPICH power contains the before and after values of CPICH power per sector and also shows
the absolute difference from the original. +ve values within the diff column indicate an
increase in power, -ve values indicate a decrease in power.
5.4.3.6 Optimiser Settings

The Optimiser Settings tabs summarises the parameters used during the optimisation process in
an easy to read excel report. This is to allow the user to reference the parameters used in the
optimisation against the results displayed elsewhere within the reports sheet.
The optimiser settings tab contains a number of tables
· General General Configuration Settings

· Weights Relative Weights for the optimisation KPIs
· Targets Global Thresholds and Targets set within the optimiser settings
dialogue
· Regions If regions are used this table is populated with the individual region
targets and weights
· Measurements If measurements are used this table contains a path to the
measurement folder and a relative weighting for measurements to
predictions
· Optimiser Freedoms Lists the available optimisation parameters for change
· Optimisation Limits Summarises the global limits applied to the optimisation freedoms
· Costs Summarises the costs entered within the optimisation settings
dialogue
· Prediction Config Highlights whether prediction format is isotropic or not and whether
antenna gain was used in the predictions
General
This table displays the general configuration settings
· Calculation Resolution specified the bin size (m) that was used during the optimisation
exercise
· Regions specifies whether or not regions planning was used during the optimisation exercise
(ON/OFF)
· Height specifies whether or not a height layer was used during the optimisation exercise
(ON/OFF)
· Measurements specifies whether or not measurements were used during the optimisation
exercise (ON/OFF)
Weights
This table contains the relative weights for the optimisation KPIs as specified in the optimisation
settings dialogue
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Coverage Weight specifies the relative weight applied to coverage during the optimisation
exercise
· Ec/Io Weight specifies the relative weight applied to Ec/Io during the optimisation exercise
· Grade of Service Weight specifies the relative weight applied to GoS during the optimisation
process (if traffic is not used this value will still be included)
Targets
These tables contain the global targets and thresholds used within the optimisation process
· Coverage (dBm) specifies both the global threshold and the target area for the KPI
· Ec/Io (dB) specifies the global threshold and target area for the KPI
· Grade of Service specifies the target value for GoS. No threshold is appropriate for GoS
Regions
This table contains the target values and weights for user defined regions within Altaro
· Code specifies the grid code assigned to a particular region

· Name specifies the user defined name appropriate to the grid code
· Coverage (dBm) specifies the coverage target used for the particular region
· Ec/Io (dB) specifies the Ec/Io target used for the particular region
· Weighting specifies the relative weighting to apply to the particular region
Measurements
This table contains any settings relevant to the use of measurements within the project
· Optimisation area specifies whether the optimisation is taking place over "All Area" i.e. whole
optimisation zone or "Measured Area" which specifies only the route where measurements
were taken.
· Folder specifies the folder in which measurement files are located
· Measurement attenuation specifies if any attenuation has been applied to the measurements
· Relative importance specifies the importance of the measurements in relation to the
predictions
Optimiser
A number of tables exist to summarise the freedoms the optimiser is allowed, the limits it has to
content with and any additional cost factors that must be considered.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

· Antenna Azimuth Selection specifies whether the antenna azimuth was available for change
during optimisation (ON/OFF)
· Antenna Mechanical Tilt Selection specifies whether the antenna mechanical tilt was available
for change during optimisation (ON/OFF)
· Power Selection specifies whether power selection was available for change during
optimisation (ON/OFF)
· Antenna Pattern Selection specifies whether the antenna pattern was available for change
during optimisation (ON/OFF)
· Site Selection specifies whether site selection was available during the optimisation process
(ON/OFF)
· Inter-sector angle specifies whether the angle between sectors was kept fixed or was variable
during the optimisation (FIXED/VARIABLE)
· Antenna Combined Tilt Selection specifies the minimum and maximum combined tilt range
allowed (i.e. max mechanical tilt + max electrical tilt)
· Power Selection specifies the minimum and maximum power range and step size allowed
· Antenna Azimuth selection specifies the minimum and maximum antenna azimuth allowed
and the step size
· Antenna Mechanical Tilt selection specifies the mechanical tilt range allowed on a sector
· Intersector separation specifies the minimum separation between sectors
· Max budget specifies the overall maximum budget that can be used during optimisation
· Site Visit cost is the cost incurred if a site is visited during optimisation
· Azimuth change cost is the cost incurred if an azimuth is changed on a sector
· Tilt change cost is the cost incurred it the tilt is changed on a sector
· Antenna pattern change cost is the cost incurred if the antenna is changed on a sector
· Power change cost is the cost incurred if the power is changed on a sector
· New Site cost incurred if a new site is added to the network design
· Upgrade site cost is the cost incurred to upgrade an existing site
· Live Cost - Decommission is the cost incurred if an exiting live site is removed
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Prediction Config
Prediction config table specifies parameters relevant to the imported prediction files
· Isotropic Prediction specifies whether the prediction files used are Isotropic or Non-Isotropic
(Isotropic/Masked)
· Include Antenna gain specifies whether the prediction files include the antenna gain or not.
(Included/Not Included)
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.4 Parameters
The parameters tab contains an xml listing of all the parameters relevant to the optimisation
exercise. It allows the user to view all statistics, optimisation parameters, weightings, etc,
associated with the optimisation run. This may be useful to help remind the user of the parameter
settings when analysing a run. A more user friendly representation of this data is present within
the excel report.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5.4.5 Exported File Formats

Within the project folder for each optimisation exercise exists a sub-folder which for the
optimisation run. As displayed below.
When Altaro is stopped a number of files are generated for the current optimisation run into this
folder, these include
· Histogram files (altaro_histograms_opt.txt & altaro_histograms_org.txt)
· History File (altaro_history.txt)
· Optimised Network Configuration Files (Altaro_results_cells_active.csv,
Altaro_results_cells_all.csv)
· Results log htm file (*.htm)
· A number of ArcView Shape Files to display optimised views of coverage Ec, Ec/Io, and
user connection status if traffic were used in the optimisation (*.flt, *.hdr)
· Optimiser.xml is an xml list of all parameters, settings and weights for the optimisation run
· If the planning tool used for import was Asset then output xml files are also stored in this
location. (INDEX001.xml, NODEB-LIST001.xml, UMTS-CELL-LIST001.xml,
PROPERTY-LIST001.xml, ANTENNA-LIST001.xml)
· The Optimise_Original folder for a particular exercise contains the original xml set (if Asset
RPT is used) and also original shape files to display coverage Ec, Ec/Io and user connection
status.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Part
Delfino Measurement Visualisation
6
6 Delfino Measurement Visualisation

Delfino has been designed to allow engineers to quickly and easily visualise measurement results
from many different formats of equipment. TEMS, NEMO, Agilent, Rhode and Schwarz etc. The
functionality included is the result of talking extensively with operators to understand their needs
and the needs of the engineers on a day to day basis.
It is designed as both a standalone module or to be used in conjunction with the optimiser to

allow measurements to be checked and verified before they are used as the basis for optimising
the network.
This section will detail the following elements of Delfino

· Importing Measurements
· Measurement Route Information
· Information by Scrambling Code/BCCH-BSIC
· Best Server Plots
· Measurement Report
· Delfino Tools
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Delfino Measurement Visualisation 167
6.1 Importing Measurements

If Delfino has been enabled on an installation then measurements can be imported by using the
'import\measurements' item from the import menu.
It is then necessary for the user to specify the locations of measurements, the co-ordinate system
in which they were collected and any attenuation that may have been included when the
measurements were taken. This information can all be set from the below dialog.
The suggested process for importing measurements is as follows.

1. Select the folder in which the measurement files are located. Note: If measurement
files from different areas, or files with common extensions exist in this folder then
Delfino may display warning messages on import)
2. Select the measurement type. For Agilent and TEMS create a mapping using the
mapping button for NEMO mappings will be disabled
3. Input the measurement attenuation - This value is added to the received signal
strength on import. e.g. if signal strength is -77dBm and there is a 5dB attenuation
specified then the value stored and displayed by Delfino will be -72dBm
4. Select co-ordinate system - measurements will be averaged and re-projected into a
Easting Northing format. It is therefore important that the right choice is selected in
order that measurements are projected into the correct location. Three choices exist
· WGS84 - measurements have been collected in the WGS84 system
· Local Lat/Long - Measurements have been collected in the local co-ordinate system
e.g. RT90
· Local Easting / Northing - Measurements do not need re projecting because they've
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

been collected in the appropriate scheme

5. Once completed select import to import the measurements into Altaro
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.1.1 Measurement Mapping

When working with generic measurement file formats it is necessary to create a mapping between
imported data fields and the fields required by Delfino.
For W-CDMA measurement sets Delfino expects source files to contain the following fields
· X Location (Longitude)
· Y Location (Latitute)
· Scrambling Code
· Measured Ec
· Measured Ec/Io
For GSM measurement sets Delfino expects source files to contain the following fields
· X Location (Longitude)
· Y Location (Latitude)
· BCCH
· BSIC
· RxLev
· RxQual
In order to create a mapping between the source fields and destination fields the following steps
should be followed
1. Select the X Location (Longitude) field from the left hand list box. Select the row which
represents the X location from the right hand list. Once both are highlighted click the
'associate' button.
2. The title for the associated item will now be visible in the left hand list showing name,
any units and a null value if selected
3. The same process can be repeated for the Y-Location
4. For fields where one or more entries exist e.g. received signal strength, scrambling
code, BCCH these can be multi-selected. Multi-select can be instigated through use of
either CTRL+Click or SHIFT+Click
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

5. In this situation all of the source fields which share the same data type e.g. scrambling
code, Ec/Io etc should be selected and then the appropriate Delfino field from the left
hand side should also be highlighted. Once done click the associate button and all the
fields in the left-hand list box will be associated to the one Delfino data-type
Once all mappings have been completed the user can select the OK button to return to the main
Import Measurements Dialog. On OK Altaro will remember the mappings and display a prompt for
the user which allows them to name the mapping system used.
If the same fields are present in another data file at a later time then the same mapping will
automatically be used by Delfino.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.2 Measurement Results

Once a set of measurements have been imported into Delfino an additional tree item will be
displayed within the results explorer. This tree item will be named 'Meas X' where X is a number
incremented each time a set of measurements is imported into Delfino.
A measurement set the results are broken down into five categories.
1. Complete Route Data - These represent information collected along the whole route.
2. Specific Cell Route Data - This represents information which is broken down per scrambling
code or BCCH-BSIC combination
3. Best Server - Best Server plots are available for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th best servers and
by Ec and Ec/Io (in UMTS) and by RxLev (in GSM)
4. Additional Plots - Servers in the Active Set Window and Pilot Pollution are available in UMTS
projects. In GSM projects a server count can be accessed instead
5. Reports - The reports item includes any Excel reports that may be configured for use within
the project. Excel reports can be configured by an administrator so the contents described
here may vary from those included on a particular installation.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.3 Complete Route Data

Measurement Route Information or Complete Route information brings together measurement
results for the complete measured route.
For each imported measurement set the user can display
· Route Only Plots points where GPS measurements have been recorded
· Coverage Plots the received coverage level based upon the best average mapped Ec
measurements (in UMTS) and the best average mapped BCCH power (GSM)
· Ec/Io Plots the received Ec/Io level based upon the average best Ec/Io imported
from the measurement file (only relevant to UMTS measurements)
· RxQual Plots the received RxQual based upon the worst RxQual measured within the
specified bin size
Any of these plots can be added by 'double clicking' the appropriate entry from the measurements
results tree. Adding an item will result in an extra entry being added to the map legend. Colours
and colour schemes can be modified using the raster colour editor dialog.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.4 Specfic Cell Route Data

It is also possible for Delfino to show information on a per cell basis. Displaying measurements per
cell allows the user to visualise the extents over which any cell propagates and consequently
identify problem areas and the source of those problems.
The following plots are available on a per cell basis
· Route Only Plots points where GPS measurements have been recorded for the
specified Scrambling Code, BSIC-BCCH combination
· Coverage Plots the received coverage level based upon the best average mapped Ec
measurements (in UMTS) and the best average mapped BCCH power
(GSM) for the specified Scrambling Code, BSIC-BCCH combination
· Ec/Io Plots the received Ec/Io level based upon the average best Ec/Io imported
from the measurement file (only relevant to UMTS measurements) for the
specified Scrambling Code
Specific Cell Route Data can be added to the map via either the results explorer or by right
clicking on a particular sector within the Map window. Descriptions of each method are described
below.
· Adding from Results Explorer

· Adding from Map Window
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.4.1 From Explorer

If the user double clicks on a 'Per Cell' item from the results explorer then the following dialogue
will be presented
The user is prompted to select which items they wish to plot. Items are listed by scrambling code
or BCCH-BSIC combination. The identifying codes can be selected individually by checking the
appropriate box on and off. Alternatively the user can choose 'Select All' to add information for
each scrambling code.
On selecting one or many identifying codes to add to the map a new legend item is added. This is
titled 'Specific Cell Route Data (Meas X)' where X is the import number. Individual codes are then
added underneath this title and be 'checked on' and 'check off' as appropriate.
Colours and legend fields can be modified using the legend editor.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.4.2 From Map

Specific Cell Route Data can also be added directly from the map window. This is achieved by
'Right Clicking' on a particular cell where the following selection message is presented.
Selecting this entry prompts a further dialog where the user is presented with a series of choices.
For UMTS measurement sets the user can select one of the three defined plots.
· Route data
· Coverage data
· Ec/Io data
In the GSM case only Route Data and Coverage will be displayed.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Finally the user is required to select which measurement set to choose. The choice is based upon
the imported sets that exist within the results explorer. Once selected the specific plot will be
added to the legend under the appropriate 'Specific Cell Route Data' entry.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.5 Best Server Plots

Delfino will allow the user to plot the best server information from measurements. Best servers
can be plotted based upon coverage and Ec/Io (for UMTS) and upon coverage for GSM.
In each case Delfino store the best four servers which can be added to the map by 'double-
clicking' the appropriate entry. Delfino will use a default scheme to colour best server entries but
these can be manually manipulated using the legend editor tool.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.6 Measurement Report

This report summarises the key information from measurements and presents additional detail in
the form of neighbour lists and bin lists.
The report can be generated by selecting the appropriate entry in the results explorer, as shown
below
The standard 'shipped' report consists of a number of standard elements. The report format can
be modified by an administrator. The standard elements are
· Summary CDF and PDF of the recorded signal level

· Cell by Cell Mean and Standard Deviation of Signal
Statistics Strength per Cell
· Neighbour List List of neighbouring cells, from
measurements for each serving cell
· Bin List Average signal level for each bin in the
measured data
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.6.1 Summary
The summary page gives headline figures for signal strength as contained within the imported
measurement set. Two tables and two graphs are included in the sheet.
The first table shows the probability density function and cumulative density functions for the
measured values. This table is generated based upon the Mean signal with 3 standard deviations
included either side of the mean. A PDF is shown to the right of this table showing visually the
distribution.
In addition to the PDF/CDF table the report also contains a percentile table. In the example given
it can be seen that 10% of the samples show signal strength less than or equal to -77.68dBm
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.6.2 Cell by Cell

The Cell by Cell tab gives a breakdown of the mean and standard deviation of signal level for each
cell on that has been recorded in measurements. The report also shows the number of measured
bins upon which the statistics are based.
In some cases 'Not Found' is displayed for Site Name and Cell ID fields. This situation arises if
scrambling codes or BCCH-BSIC have been measured that do not exist in the Altaro Network. This
could occur if codes are being received from Cells that have not been imported into the Altaro
network.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.6.3 Neighbour List

The neighbour list tab displays for each serving cell the number bins and codes for any other cells
that have been measured where that cell is the best server.
The columns on the left, highlighted in blue detail the serving cell scrambling code and number of
neighbours recorded for the scrambling code. To the right the ten most significant neighbours
from measurements will be shown, for each the ID field (UMTS this is scrambling code, GSM this
is BSIC-BCCH), the count of bins recorded on that ID and the distance away from the serving cell.
Within the serving cell fields 'Not Found' may be recorded. This indicates that a cell with
corresponding code does not exist in the Altaro database. In some cases the distance to the
server may be recorded as 'Unavailable'. Again this will be recorded if it is not possible to resolve
the source of the signal.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.6.4 Bin List

The Bin List for the imported measurement set is contained as the final tab of the worksheet. For
each bin contained within the measured data the bin list summarises the number of entries at that
point the ID code for those entries and the measured signal strength.
The Bin list essentially forms an averaged measurement set with location based information
included.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

6.7 Spider Tool

The spider tool allows the user to interrogate a set of measurements and visually identify the
source of measured signals arriving at a particular point.
The tool can be instigated from the graphic elements toolbar by clicking on the spider. If more
than one set of measurements exists within the project e.g. Meas 1 and Meas 2 then the user is
prompted to select the set on which they wish the spider to operate from the drop down
presented.
After selection of the measurement set the user can click any point on the measured route and
Delfino will spider to the source of the measured signals received at that location.
On selecting a measurement point an additional layer entitled 'Spider' is added to the map view.
The display of the spider diagram can be toggled on and off by selecting and de-selecting the
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

spider from the Map Legend.
In addition to displaying a spider on the map and additional dialog will also be displayed. This
dialog shows the received signal strength at the selected location, the name of the server and
distance to the selected appropriate server. The colour code displayed within the dialog
corresponds to the colours shown on map representation of the spider.
As with other tools the spider identify dialog can be docked into the Altaro framework and the
values contained within the table can be cut and pasted to external applications.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Part
File Formats
7
7 File Formats
7.1 TIF, TIFW
Images are stored as raster data, where each cell in the image has a row and a column number.
Shapefiles, MIFs, tabs etc are stored in real-world coordinates. In order to display images with
shapefiles, it is necessary to establish an image-to-world transformation that converts the image
coordinates to real-world coordinates. This transformation information is typically stored with the
image.
Some image formats, such as BIL, GeoTIFF, and grids, store the georeferencing information in the
header of the image file. Altaro uses this information if it is present. However, other image
formats store this information in a separate ASCII file. This file is generally referred to as the
world file, since it contains the real-world transformation information used by the image. World
files can be created with any editor.
World file naming conventions
It's easy to identify the world file which should accompany an image file: world files use the same
name as the image, with a "w" appended. For example, the world file for the image file
mytown.tiff would be called mytown.tiffw and the world file for redlands.rlc would be
redlands.rlcw.
For images that lack an extension, or have an extension that is shorter than three characters, the
"w" is added to the end of the file name without altering it. Therefore the world file for the image
file terrain would be terrainw; the world file for the image file floorpln.rs would be floorpln.rsw.
How the georeferencing information is accessed
The image-to-world transformation is accessed each time an image is displayed (e.g., when you
pan or zoom). The transformation is calculated from one of the following sources, listed in order
of priority:
· the world file

· the header file (if the image type supports one)
· from the row/column information of the image (an identity transformation)
Because a world file has higher priority, you can override the header file transformation
information by creating your own world file.
World file contents
The contents of the world file will look something like this:
20.17541308822119
0.00000000000000
0.00000000000000
-20.17541308822119
424178.11472601280548
4313415.90726399607956
When this file is present, ArcView performs the image-to-world transformation. The
image-to-world transformation is a six-parameter affine transformation in the form of:
x1 = Ax + By + C
y1 = Dx + Ey + F
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

File Formats 187
where
x1 = calculated x-coordinate of the pixel on the map

y1 = calculated y-coordinate of the pixel on the map
x = column number of a pixel in the image
y = row number of a pixel in the image
A = x-scale; dimension of a pixel in map units in x direction
B, D = rotation terms
C, F = translation terms; x,y map coordinates of the center of the upper-left pixel
E = negative of y-scale; dimension of a pixel in map units in y direction
Note The y-scale (E) is negative because the origins of an image and a geographic coordinate
system are different. The origin of an image is located in the upper-left corner, whereas the origin
of the map coordinate system is located in the lower-left corner. Row values in the image increase
from the origin downward, while y-coordinate values in the map increase from the origin upward.
The transformation parameters are stored in the world file in this order:
20.17541308822119 - A
0.00000000000000 - D
0.00000000000000 - B
-20.17541308822119 - E
424178.11472601280548 - C
4313415.90726399607956 - F
Note Altaro does not rotate, or warp, images. If your world file has non-zero rotation terms (D
and B parameters), the image may change its position relative to vector data in the same view
when you zoom or pan.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

7.2 ESRI ACSII Raster

The ASCII raster file format is a simple format that can be used to transfer raster data between
various applications. It is basically a few lines of header data followed by lists of cell values. The
header data includes the following keywords and values:
ncols - number of columns in the data set.

nrows - number of rows in the data set.
xllcenter or xllcorner - x-coordinate of the centre or lower-left corner of the lower-left cell.
yllcenter or yllcorner - y-coordinate of the centre or lower-left corner of the lower-left cell.
cellsize - cell size for the data set.
nodata_value - value in the file assigned to cells whose value is unknown. This keyword and
value is optional.
The nodata_value defaults to -9999.
For example:
ncols 480
nrows 450
xllcorner 378923
yllcorner 407234
cellsize 100
nodata_value -32768
4000 3000 4000 320 30 560 200 500 2300 650 340 60 320 etc
3500 4500 450 340 2000 600 780 400 380 440 890 3000 2000 700 etc
etc
The first row of data is at the top of the data set, moving from left to right. Cell values should be
delimited by spaces. No carriage returns are necessary at the end of each row in the data set. The
number of columns in the header is used to determine when a new row begins. The number of
cell values must be equal to the number of rows times the number of columns.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Part
Technical Reference
8
8 Technical Reference
8.1 KPI Weights Discussion
Altaro employs user-defined weights as a means of:
· Attaching relative importance to the network key performance indicators (KPIs).

· Identifying the relative cost of different types of sites.
· Identifying the relative cost of making changes to the network.
The optimised solution will depend on the relative value of these weights since they specify the
trade-off between KPIs and the cost associated with achieving the KPIs. In the case of KPI
weights, a high value will emphasise the optimisation of that KPI and a weighting of zero indicates
that Altaro should not directly optimise the corresponding KPI.
In the case of site weights, a high value indicates that Altaro should, as much as possible, avoid
including that type of site in the optimised design. Conversely, a negative weight ensures that the
site type is used in preference. For example, we may set a negative weight to "live" sites in order
to avoid decommissioning them.
In the case of cost weights, a high value will indicate to Altaro that the corresponding change is
only acceptable provided a relatively high degree of improvement in KPI is achieved as a result of
the change and a weighting of zero indicates that Altaro may make as many changes as required
without penalty.
A simple example serves to illustrate how weights may be selected:
Comparing site types - e.g. to specify that a new 3G site costs 2.1 times as much as an
upgrade site, set:
New 3G: 2.1
Upgrade: 1
Comparing site types and network KPIs - e.g. to specify that a 2 percentage point
improvement in blocking is worth one additional upgrade site, set:
Upgrade: 1
User Rejection: 0.5 (2×0.5 = 1×1)
Comparing pairs of KPIs - e.g. to specify that a 2 percentage point improvement in Ec/Io is
worth the same as 1 percentage point improvement in blocking, set:
Ec/Io : 0.25
User Rejection 0.5 (2×0.25 = 1×0.5)
In order to select appropriate weights, it is often useful to quantify costs and benefits in monetary
terms. The following examples are based on practical usage of the tool and are given as a guide
for setting the weights for Altaro.
The following table lists some example costs
New site €100,000

Upgrade site €50,000
Site visit (applicable to live sites only) €1000
Tilt change per sector on this site €50
Azimuth change per sector on this site €50
Antenna type change per sector on this site €500
Power change per sector on this site €0
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Technical Reference 191
We then need to quantify the following:

1. How much would the network operator be willing to spend to improve the network's GoS
by 1 percentage point?
2. How much would the network operator be willing to spend to improve the network's Ec/Io
by 1 percentage point?
3. How much would the network operator be willing to spend to improve the network's Ec by
1 percentage point?
For example, we assume the answers to the above questions are respectively:
1. €120,000
2. €60,000
3. €60,000
Based on the above figures, the following weights would be set in Altaro. As the weights are
relative, we have (arbitrarily) chosen New 3G site weight as baseline. Also note that if site
selection optimisation is switched off, then the weights that are specified for the sites will not be
used:
Weight Calculation
New 3G 10 Baseline
Upgrade 2G 5 €50,000/€100,000 × 10
Live -100 i.e. do not decommission
Site visit 0.1 €1000/€100,000 × 10
Tilt change/sector 0.005 €50/€100,000 × 10
Azimuth change / sector 0.005 €50/€100,000 × 10
Antenna type change /sector 0.05 €500/€100,000 × 10
User Rejection 12 €120,000/€100,000 × 10
Ec/Io 6 €60,000/€100,000 × 10
Ec Coverage 6 €60,000/€100,000 × 10
It is important to note that cost parameters are only taken into accout once all KPI targets are
met by the optimiser.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8.2 How Measurements are Used

Altaro uses measurements to further increase the accuracy of the predicted output. The following
section describes how measurements are used in Altaro.
Altaro will first populate the pathloss stack with imported prediction data. Thus at each bin there
will exist a stack of predicted pathloss.
Altaro will then read in measurement files from the specified folder. First extracting the measured
Ec value for each scrambling code at each X/Y geographical location specified within the
measurement data files. Altaro performs a linear averaging per scrambling code within each bin to
return the average measured Ec at each location. This has the effect of smoothing out the effects
of fast fading and which can be expected in measurements.
The link budget for each scrambling code at each bin is then calculated with the effects of
transmit power for CPICH and any link losses being taken into account. The antenna pattern is
also removed at this stage thus converting the measurements to an "isotropic" pathloss.
Note: Since the current network configuration (antenna and transmit power) is used to de-mask
the measurements it is essential that the network configuration within Altaro matches the
configuration which was in the network when the measurements were taken.
The measured pathloss is then added to the prediction stack - in areas where a predicted pathloss
and measured pathloss for a scrambling code exists the predicted pathloss is discarded and
replaced by the measured pathloss.
Note: the prediction data is needed even if measured areas are only being optimised since
without this information, mobiles in those areas will fail because of lack of coverage and their
impact cannot therefore be modelled.
Any measurements relating to a transmitter that is not in the network transmitter list will be
ignored, because the properties of the transmitter (i.e. power setting, antenna configuration etc.)
will not be known. Note that the network transmitter list will only contain "active" transmitters
inside the computation zone.
If there are any scrambling code (SC) contentions (i.e. where more than one transmitter in the
computation zone has the same SC) then the transmitter in closer vicinity to the measurement bin
will be used.
When performing optimisation measured and predicted data bins will have a weighting factor
applied - according to the weighting set in the optimiser settings dialogue. For example if the
weighting between measured areas and predicted areas was 10:1 Altaro would score 10 points for
a 1% improvement in the measured area and only 1 point for the same magnitude of
improvement in the predicted area. Thus pushing the optimiser to work harder at optimising
measured areas than predicted areas.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8.3 Defining Activity Factors

When defining a service in Altaro, the user is required to enter the uplink and downlink activity
factors. This note explains how these should be calculated.
Activity factors for circuit-switched services

The uplink and downlink activities of Circuit switched services define the average active time of
the channel. For speech a figure of 0.5 is suggested whereas for Video typical figures can range
between 0.8 to1.0.
Activity factors for packet-switched services

For packet switched services the following equations should be used to calculate the uplink and
downlink activity factors:
where
where
· Sess/h Number of sessions per hour
· Volume is the user's data transfer volume (K bytes)
· feff Is the efficiency factor
· Rate is the nominal rate of data transfer (in kbps)
Note that values for fDL and fUL range between 0.0 and 1.0
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8.4 Optimisation Algorithm

Altaro uses a proprietary general-purpose multi-dimensional optimisation algorithm (known as
best configuration algorithm BCA). Being technology-agnostic it can optimise any given radio
interface, for a number of parameters and thresholds where the relative importance of those
parameters is specified by weights. Weights are defined as the relative importance the user gives
to the KPIs and site types.
The BCA extracts the KPIs from the simulator and based on the input weights selects new
parameters settings as well as site locations. BCA has built-in intelligence to guide it to the best
possible solution for the given problem. These new parameters are then communicated to the
simulator in order to compute the next set of KPIs.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8.5 Admission Control

A mobile station is admitted if
· CPICH Ec/Io is greater than the threshold

· CPICH Ec is greater than the threshold
· CE at cell does not exceed the threshold or this can also be setup at site level, where CEs are
shared between sectors.
· Load at cell does not exceed the threshold
If QoS (i.e. target Eb/No) can be reached and DCH power for the mobile does not exceed the
threshold both for up and downlinks
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8.6 Soft/Softer Handoff

A cell is included in the active set if
· It is the mobile's best server

· If the cell Ec/Io is above the threshold and is within HAND_OVER WINDOW of the best server
Ec/Io
· If mobile can be admitted to the cell

· Uplink MRC is calculated in the case of softer handoff
Maximal ratio combining currently assumes all the received energy is captured by the RAKE
fingers of the mobile station. This provides an upper bound on the possible gain possible because
of handoff. In reality, the number of RAKE fingers would be limited on mobiles and depending on
the particular channel being experienced by the user, will lead to less SHO gain.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8.7 Mobile Failure

Mobile fails if
· It cannot be admitted (for criteria on admission refer to Admission Control section)
· During power control, service Eb/No target cannot be met and its corresponding required
DCH power or cell load exceeds the maximum thresholds
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8.8 GoS Statistic Calculation

Traffic
Ec/Io
Coverage
Coverage is currently evaluated for downlink. The WCDMA FDD simulator part of Altaro has the
full implementation of the uplink, and considers the uplink coverage. If the up and downlinks are
not balanced this will result in higher blocking due to uplink (Altaro in trying to correct for the
blocking therefore automatically balances the up and the downlink coverage).
Downlink coverage is evaluated using the pilot detection threshold:
In the next release of Altaro the user can request balanced coverage statistics on a per service
basis. In this functionality, the Uplink and Downlink DCH thresholds depend on the service. Thus
the user must choose the service or set of services for which they wish to obtain and optimise the
coverage.
Overall coverage performance is evaluated provided both equations for uplink and downlink
coverage are satisfied.
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

8.9 Calculation of Coverage Statistics

Remember the KPI’s are only true absolute Area % metrics above globally defined thresholds
when Regions Planning is not carried out, and measurements are not used.
Regions planning uses the fact different regions have different optimisation weights (importance)
and also different thresholds.
If Regions planning is being used then KPIs should therefore be interpreted as:
S1n {(Region Weight)i x (% area of region>T)i}
Where T = Thresholds for Ec or Ec/Io
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Index 201
Antenna Type 5
Index Antenna Types 98, 117

Anticlockwise Azimuth 50
Anti-clockwise Azimuth 123
Applications 10
-1- ArcEngine 9
ArcGis 9
1st Best Server 177 ArcGis Runtime 12
-2- Area 104

Arieso 3
Ascending 54
2nd Best Server 177 ASCII 188
-3- Asset 3, 79, 82, 163

Asset3G 79
Authorisation 9
3rd Best Server 177 Authorization 9
-4- Autohide 18
Azimuth 30, 50, 56, 106, 113, 123, 157
4th Best Server 177 -B-

-A- BCCH 56, 116, 169
BCH 50
Active 39
Before 126
Active Set 146
Best Server 177
Acw_azm 50
Best Solution 5
Add Vector Layer 25
Bin Value 183
Adding Vectors 43
Block Fill 60
After 126
Body Loss 93
Agilent 110, 167
Boolean 35
AICH 50
Broadcast Colour Code 50
Aircom 3
BS Power 50
Algebra 35
BSIC 169
All Cells 151
Bug Fixes 14
All Cells Active 151
Bugs 14
Altaro 3, 9
Analysis 35
Andrew 3
-C-
Antenna 30, 106, 113, 157 Calculation Zone 32, 33, 87
Antenna Azimuth 5 Captured Traffic Assesment 108
Antenna Direction 5 CD 8
Antenna Folder 75 CDF 134, 151, 153, 155
Antenna Gain 77 Cell 30, 157
Antenna Pattern 92 Cell Height 50
Antenna Set 50 Cell Radius 104
Antenna Sets 98, 117 Cell_load 50
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Cell_noise 50 Descending 54
Cells 153 Disk 10
Changes 157 Docking 18, 33
Channel Elements 50 Documentation 14
Clockwise Azimuth 50, 123 Dominance Threshold 104
CLU Files 85 Dongle 8, 12
Clutter 78, 85 Downlink 126
Colour by Attribute 28 DTM 84, 95
Colour by Code 41 Dx 50
Colour by Field 28 Dy 50
Colour Code 50
Colour Range 28 -E-
Colour Scheme 23
Column 54, 55 Easting 49
combined tilt 56, 108 Easting Northing 76
Comma Separated 79 Ec 5, 96, 110, 126, 169
Commit Network 149 Ec/Io 5, 96, 126, 146, 169
Commit Results 144 Ec/Io Route 172
Comparison 157 Electrical Tilt 98, 122
Complete Route Data 172 Electrical_tilt 92
Configuration 72, 158, 162 Enterprise 3
Constraints 5, 50, 56, 98, 103, 113 Equation Editor 35
Copy 54, 59 Erlangs 108
Copyright 3 ESRI 9
Cost 157 Events Window 17
costs 106, 115 Excel 79, 153
Couei 167 Excel Report 178
Coverage 146 Expected Cell Radius 104
Coverage Folder 75
Coverage Route 172 -F-
CPICH 50, 56, 116, 157
CPU 10 F1 13
Csv 78, 79, 163 FACH 50
Cut 54, 59 Fill 54
cw_azm 50 Find 33, 38, 54, 58
Find Next 54, 58
-D- Find Sector 38
Find Site 38
Data 20 Fix Constraint 57
DCH Power 93 Flexcell 12
Default Threshold 104 Freeze ID 57
Delete Layer 21
Delete Theme 21 -G-
Delfino 166
Delta 157 General 30
Deltas 153 GEOTIFF 186
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Index 203
Graphic Elements Toolbar 68

Graphics 10 -K-
Graphs 62, 134, 149
GRD Files 84, 85 KPI 32, 96, 134, 149, 155
Grid Code 88 KPI Target 104
Grid File 46 KPI Targets 104
Grids 46 KPI Weights 106
GSM 5
-L-
-H-
Label 26
Handover Margin 108 Label by Field 26
Hardware 10 Label Colour 26
Headstock 30, 49 Label Size 26
Height 78, 84, 95 Lat Long 76
Height Folder 75 Latitude 49
Help 13 Layer Colour 21
Help File 13 Layer Files 43
Hide 54, 55 Layer Order 21
Hide Column 55 Legend Editor 23
Hide Layer 21 Limits 30, 50, 56, 104
Histograms 62, 134, 151, 155 Line Colour 25
History 153, 155 Line Style 25
Horizontal 92 Line Width 25
HTML 20, 149 List 157
HTML Results 62 LIVE 106, 115
Load Equation 35
-I- Location 30, 49
LOCKED 32, 39, 115
Identify 33 Longitude 49
Images 44
Import 72, 78 -M-
Import as Zones 87
Import Measurements 167 Machine 10
Importance 110 Main Toolbar 65
Inactive 39 Main Window 17
INDEX001 163 Manipulation 18
Install 9 Map 17
Installation 9 Map Calculator 35, 146
Installation Guide 8 Map Find 33, 38
Inter Sector Angle 49 Map Layer Toolbar 21, 67
Interference 5 Map Legend 21
Inter-sector angle 108, 124 Map Toolbar 66
Introduction 4 Mapping 169
Isotropic 77, 82 Masked 77, 82
Max Budget 106
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Max Power 116 Orthoganality 50

Max_Pow 50 OSGB 76
Max_tilt 50
Measurement Report 178 -P-
Measurement Results 171
Measurement Values 183 Panes 18
Measurement Visualisation 166 Parameters 104, 153, 158, 162
Measurement Weight 110 Paste 54, 59
Measurements 104, 110, 166 PCH 50
Mechanical Tilt 56, 122 PCTel 167
Memory 10 PDF 62, 134, 151, 153, 155
MHA 50 Penetration Loss 93
Microsoft Excel 3, 79 Per Cell Information 173
Microsoft Word 3 Performance 155
MIF 87 PICH 50
Min Power 116 Pilot Pollution 104, 126
Min Specification 10 Planet EV *.grd 84
Min_Pow 50 PlanetEV 82
Min_tilt 50 PlanetEV *.grc 85
MSI 92 Plots 146
Pollution Window 104
-N- Polygon 87
Polygon Colour 25
Nemo 110, 167 Polygon Display Setting 25
Network 78 Polygon Fill 25
Network Colour Code 50 Polygons as Raster 88
NEW 106, 115 Pow_step 50
NEW 3G 106, 115 Power 30, 106, 113, 116, 157
New Project 73 Power Planning 5
Next Tab 18 Predefined Colour Scheme 23
NODEB-LIST 163 Prediction 82
Non-Orthoganality 50 Prefect Design 4
Northing 49 Preferences 73
Previous Tab 18
-O- Probability 62, 153
Project 73
Odyssey 3, 82 Project Preferences 74
Optimisation 72, 103 Projection Systems 76
Optimisation Zone 32, 33, 87 Projects 20
Optimiser 72, 103 PROPERTY-LIST 163
Optimiser Dialogue 126 Proprietary Algorithms 5
Optimiser Settings 104 Protected Cells 60
Optimiser Toolbar 70 PSC 50
Optimsation Zone 33
Options 74
ORACLE 79
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Index 205
Set 50
-Q- Set_name 50
Sets 98
Quantity 108 Setting up a Project 72
Settings 153, 158
-R- Shape File 43
Show 54, 55
Raster 77, 188 Show Layer 21
Raster Idenfity 33 SHP 87
Raster Identify 33 SimpleGrid 12
Recent Projects 20 Simulation 5, 62, 93, 108, 126
Region Weight 96 Site 50
Regions 78, 85, 88 Site Identify 30
Regions Folder 75 Site Planning 5
Regions Planning 96 Site Selection 113
regsrv32 12 Site Type 49, 113, 115
Relative 124 Site Visit Cost 106
Relative Costs 106 Sites 17
Release Notes 14 Sites Table 48, 49
Rename Layer 21 Soft Handover 5
Resolution 77, 88 Softer Handover 5
Results 17, 146 Sort 54
Results Explorer 146, 171 Sort Ascending 58
Results Window 17 Sort Decending 58
Rhode and Schwarz 167 Specified Number 108
Rollout 5 Speed 104
Route per Cell 173 Spider Tool 183
RSCP 5 SSCH 50
Start 17
-S- Start Page 20
Statistics 154
Save As 73 Status 49
Save Equation 35 Step 50, 116
Scale Factor 108 Summary 153, 154
Scaled from Map 108 SuperPro 12
Scrambling Code 30, 50, 110 Support 13
Sector 30, 50 System Requirements 10
Sector Colour 28, 41
Sector Label 26 -T-
Sector Legend 41
Sectorid 50 TAB 87
Sectors 17 Table Toolbar 69
Sectors Table 48 Tables 17, 62
Select Measurement Information 171 Tabs 18
Separation 124 Target 104
Services 93 Technical Support 14
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Temp Folder 75
TEMS 110, 167 -W-
TER files 84
Terrain 84 WCDMA FDD 5
text files 79 Web 93
Threshold 104 Weight 104
TIF 44, 186 Weighted Sum 134, 149
TIFF 44 Weights 96, 106
TIFW 44, 186 Wizard *.clu 85
Tilt 30, 50, 56, 106, 113, 157 Wizard *.ter 84
Tilt Range 122 Working Resolution 77
Tilt_step 50
Time 20, 134, 149, 155 -X-
Toggle 39
Toolbars 64 Xenicom 3
Traffic 86, 88, 93, 108 xls 79
Traffic Folder 75 xml 78, 79, 162, 163
Traffic Map 108
Transparency 25 -Z-
Tree 146
tri 86 Zoom 33
Troubleshoot 12 Zoom In 33
trr 86 Zoom Out 33
Tuning 5 Zoom to Layer 33
txt 79 Zoom to Sites 33
-U-
UMTS-CELL-LIST001 163
Unlocked 39
UPGRADE 5, 106, 115
Uplink 126
Use Height 95
Use Limit 56
Use Regions 96
Use_Limits 50
User Guide 8
Users 108, 146
UTM 76
-V-
Vertical 92
Video 93
View All Results 144
Voice 93
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

207
Endnotes 2... (after index)
© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Altaro User Manual

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Altaro User Manual

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User Manual

Altaro automated radio access

Manual release 2 March 2006

Part 2 Getting Started 8

Part 3 The Altaro Environment 16

Part 4 Setting up a Project 72

Part 5 Altaro Optimisation 102

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3 Running Altaro Optimisation

Part 6 Delfino Measurement Visualisation 166

Part 7 File Formats 186

Part 8 Technical Reference 190

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

Altaro is a recognized trademark of Arieso Ltd.

Odyssey and Quantum are recognised trademarks of Andrew Corp.

Asset3g and Enterprise are recognised trademarks of AirCom International.

Wizard is a recognised trademark of Optimi Inc.

Planet and Planet EV are recognised trademarks of Marconi Ltd

Other product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

1.3 The Product

What Does Altaro Automate?

· Minimum and Maximum mechanical tilt

What Does Altaro Optimise?

· Quality of service in terms of Ec/Io

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

In TDMA projects Altaro will optimise the following parameters

In the process of the optimisation of the above, Altaro:

Where is Altaro used?

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

1. Altaro CD - Single User or Network Version

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2.2 Installation Process

To authorise ArcGIS Engine Runtime:

ESRI ArcGIS software installation

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2.3 System Requirements

1. CPU Pentium IV with 1GHz processor

1. CPU Pentium IV with 3GHz processor

· A Dual-pipeline Pentium 4 processor provides significant speed increase and allows

· As a map-displaying application, Altaro benefits from addressing larger screen areas at

Minimum Server requirements:

1. CPU Multi Processor based work station

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

3 Memory 500 Mb RAM per "simultaneous user"

Recommended Server Requirements

1. CPU Multi Processor based work station

· "Simultaneous Users" is a count of the maximum number of people expected to be

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2.4 Trouble Shooting Installation

1. Table Registration - Flexcell, SimpleGrid

If problems persist please contact Arieso support.

If problems persist please contact support@arieso.com

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2.5 Getting Help

Several approaches are available to search information:

To see the name of a toolbar button

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.

2.6 Technical Support

The Technical support team can be reached via email

Or via the website

Information on the following is available on the support website.

© 2006 Arieso Ltd.