ComSiteDesign® Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Wireless Network Planning and Design Software

General Product Information

• Can I use ComSiteDesign for frequency planning?
  Yes. ComSiteDesign uses the Automatic Frequency Planning (AFP) tool to perform frequency planning. The AFP uses the actual coverage to perform channel assignment computations that minimize interference. The AFP also accommodates exclusion ‘lock-out’ of frequencies. Sites can be excluded from an area by deactivating them. Alternatively, activating only sites of interest locks out the others. Frequencies may also be ‘locked-in’ to avoid affecting frequency sensitive devices such as bi-directional amplifiers or frequency translating repeaters. A frequency plan can be imported into ComSiteDesign. The file format for this import must be Excel, and the format is specified in the User’s Guide.
• Can ComSiteDesign conduct what-if scenarios?
  ‘What-If’ scenarios can be easily simulated in ComSiteDesign. Sites, for example, are classified as “proposed,” “in-construction,” “leased,” “rejected” and “what-if.” These site status classes may be expanded or changed to suit your business processes. Sites may also be activated or deactivated to show site status and to assess differences in coverage, interference, and compute traffic redistribution between different scenarios.
• Can ComSiteDesign be used to analyze different fixed wireless technologies?
  ComSiteDesign is a general purpose network planning tool and it is offered modularized to meet end-user requirements more effectively. The PCS version targets the PCS/Cellular end-user providing for unique site placement planning, subscriber traffic considerations, measurement data integration and detailed frequency planning. It is applicable for TDMA IS136, DCS1800, TETRA. ComSiteDesign's PTP is an add-on application to perform detailed fixed wireless systems analysis point-to-point Microwave, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and Point to Multipoint. Channel performance parameters particular to 16 QAM, 32 QAM, etc. can be easily considered with ComSiteDesign by taking into account how the required SNR changes for a desired BER by each modulation type.
• What map resolutions does ComSiteDesign Support?
  ComSiteDesign may use terrain databases inclusive of buildings with better than 10-meter resolution as currently becoming available for the US. ComSite’s standard terrain database is 30 meters in NAD83 projection as required by the FAA and FCC. Vector data supported includes MTA’s, BTA’s, MSA’s, RSA’a, EA’s, MEA, WCS boundaries, States, Counties, Zip Codes, Streets, Hydrology, Railroads. Output maps may be produced at detail levels representing better than 100m by 100m areas.
• What data can I import into ComSiteDesign?
  ComSiteDesign allows the user to import data from different sources. The following is a list of sources and formats:

  • Site information: The site definition, which includes the site location, antenna, and other link budget elements, can be imported from Microsoft Excel or Access, another ROM (ComSiteDesign) file, and legacy DAT (Romulus/ComSite Ultra) file. The new Microsoft Office 2007 format is not supported at this time. ComSiteDesign allows the synchronization between ComSiteDesign and a site database through the use of the Site Key and Sector key in order to avoid unnecessary creation of duplicate sites.
  • GIS Data: ComSiteDesign allows the used to import GIS data in SHP format for two purposes:
    
    1. Visualization – when SHP data is imported and displayed on the map, but no analysis can be performed on this data. This method supports points, lines, poly-lines, and polygons.
    2. Analysis – when the SHP is imported as a Used Defined Polygon (UDP), the percentage of covered area analysis can be performed, as well as traffic, and penetration values can be assigned. Only polygons are supported for importing.
  • Frequency Plans: The frequency plan can be imported using multiple templates as long as it is in Microsoft Excel format.
  • Measurement Files: The field measurements can be imported in Microsoft Excel format. The headers for the fields of interest are “Latitude”, “Longitude”, and “Signal”. The new Microsoft Office 2007 format is not supported at this time.
  • Antenna patterns: The antennas can be obtained directly from the manufacturer and imported as long as they follow the format specified in the User Manual. These files are typically in plain text format.
• What data can I export from ComSiteDesign?
  ComSiteDesign allows the user to export data in different file formats, including:

  • Site information: The site definition, which includes the site location, antenna, and other link budget elements, can be exported either to a new or existing Microsoft Excel or Access file. The new Office 2007 format is not supported at this time. ComSiteDesign allows the synchronization between ComSiteDesign and the site database through the use of the Site Key and Sector key in order to avoid unnecessary creation of duplicate sites.
  • Coverage: The coverage is the graphical representation on a map of the analysis chosen. Any analysis that consists of a raster can be exported to ArcView GIS SHP file, MapInfo MIF file, and Google Earth KML file. The levels specified in the Signal Bins in ComSiteDesign are represented as different layers in SHP and MIF files. The coverage in Google Earth is exported as an image.
• What propagation models are included in ComSiteDesign?
  The models available to an end-user are Okumura-Hata-Davidson, Longley Rice, Lee, COST 231 Okumura-Hata, COST 231 Walfish-Ikegami, ITU Free Space, various FCC models, IMT-2000 WiMAX/SUI, Bullington, and Lucent Airloop among others. The diffraction models implemented include Deygout, Okumura, Bullington, Epstein Peterson, Japanese Atlas and Giovanelli. The accuracy of each propagation model may be modified by changing clutter loss attenuation factors derived through a calibration process dependent on field collected measurement data. These models are appropriate for planning networks from 40 MHz to over 40 GHz. Effects due to atmospheric gases, atmospheric absorption, rain attenuation, etc. are considered part of ComSiteDesign’s point-to-point Microwave planning tool.
• What terrain data-sets are available for use with ComSiteDesign?
  RCC has generated high quality terrain data sets for use in ComSiteDesign, in resolutions from 30 arc-seconds for a worldwide terrain database, to 3 arc-seconds (90 meters) and 1 arc-second (30 meter) for nation-wide terrain databases. RCC has also created high-resolution terrain data up to 3-meter accuracy for certain areas. The nation-wide 90-meter, 30-meter, and 10-meter terrain data is currently available, in Geographic Coordinates based on the NAD-83 datum.
• What landuse data-sets are available for use with ComSiteDesign?
  RCC has generated high quality landuse data sets for use in ComSiteDesign in 3 arc-seconds (90 meters) and 1 arc-second (30 meter) for nation-wide terrain databases. RCC has also created high-resolution landuse data for international clients. The nation-wide 90-meter, and 30-meter terrain data is currently available, in Geographic Coordinates based on the NAD-83 datum.
  
  Clutter categories used include Residential, Mean Urban, Dense Urban, Dense Urban High, Block Buildings, Village, Industrial, Open in Urban, Mixed Suburban, Rural, Forest, Parks, Water, Open.
• What kind of regulatory support is provided with ComSiteDesign?
  ComSiteDesign includes the AM Tower and Airport database. The location of AM Towers and Airports can be viewed by simply clicking on a toolbar icon. ComSite’s summary reports automatically produce distance and bearing to AM Towers and Airports. If you decide to use the licensed band for Broadband MMDS/ITFS, ComSite’s MMDS tool produces the required ‘Appendix D’ analyses. The tool is compatible with the FCC’s broadband database.
• What is included as part of the ComSiteDesign Multi-site package?
  • Reporting: ComSiteDesign's output reports and exported data are compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel and MapPoint. Coverage raster files may be exported to MapInfo, ESRI ArcView and Google Earth. The output analyses may be also saved as a standard Adobe PDF file.
  • Data: In the standard ComSiteDesign package, RCC provides the 90m (3-Arc Sec) terrain and landuse, as well as the boundaries and roads for the United States. Optionally, RCC can provide 30m (terrain and landuse) and 10m (terrain) data. Also, MapPoint is provided as an add-on module which enhances the quality of the presentation maps.
  • Analyses: In ComSiteDesign, all propagation modules advertised, as well as diffraction modules are provided with the standard version. These allow the user to run coverage analyses. In order to address particular technologies, RCC provides other technology-specific modules.

  
  If you would like to know if a particular scenario is part of the standard version, please contact us (no obligation) at (732) 404-2500 or email us at comsitesupport@rcc.com.

Technical Product Information

Setup

• Why can I not display my map?
  This question is typically asked by users with the demo version of the software which only provides data for the area for Denver, Colorado in 30m resolution. Therefore, if you have a demo, you can do a map center search for Denver, or type in coordinates for that area.
  
  However, if you have a licensed copy, a few things can be occurring:

  • Have you installed the purchased databases?
  • Have you set your database pointers correctly? This is done from the Edit menu when you select the System Configuration, and selecting the Pathnames tab (by default, it’s the displayed tab)
  • Are you drawing a map for the area installed? For example, you installed the area of California, but try to draw New York. Make sure your coordinates are appropriate for the areas installed.
  • The Terrain or Urban basis, in the PREFERENCES.INI file, is incorrect. The 100m database, which is provided for FREE with the purchase of the software has the following settings: TERRAINBASIS=4 and URBANBASIS=2. Newer databases (30m, and 10m) have both set to 8 (TERRAINBASIS=8, and URBANBASIS=8).
• Why do I get a “None of terrain data files has been found. Please check your settings.” Message?
  This error simply means that you are trying to draw outside of the installed area. For example, you installed the area of California, but try to draw New York. Make sure your coordinates are appropriate for the areas installed.
• How do I know my map is drawn correctly?
  If the 30m settings are used to draw 100m data, the user will see data surrounded by empty areas, and then some more data again. This we’ll refer to the “checker-board” pattern. To fix this:

  • Close ComSiteDesign
  • Open PREFERENCES.INI located in the ComSiteDesign folder using Notepad
  • Look for TERRAINBASIS = 8 and change to TERRAINBASIS=4
  • Look for URBANBASIS = 8 and change to URBANBASIS = 2
  • Look for URBANHOTPOINT = SE and change to URBANHOTPOINT = SW

  
  If the 100m settings are used to draw 30m data, the user will see severe elevation discontinuity in the displayed maps observed in grids. To fix this:

  • Close ComSiteDesign
  • Open PREFERENCES.INI located in the ComSiteDesign folder using Notepad
  • Look for TERRAINBASIS = 4 and change to TERRAINBASIS=8
  • Look for URBANBASIS = 2 and change to URBANBASIS = 8
  • Look for URBANHOTPOINT = SW and change to URBANHOTPOINT = SE
• Why do I get “Unable to open antenna mapping file” and “Unable to locate ComSitePro Ant DB” when I start the software?
  This is caused when the “Other Data” directory in the “System Configuration” window is not pointing correctly to where the “cspwdata.dat” file is located. To fix this simply re-map this pointer. Typically it is the “ComSiteDesign” folder where the executable for the application is located.

Mapping

• How many map layers can I draw at a time?
  In ComSiteDesign, only ONE “Map’s Type” dataset can be displayed at a time together with any of the “Boundaries” (state, county, zip code, MTA, BTA, LATA), “Roads” (primary, secondary, national and subnational), “Other”, and/or “Misc” data.
• Can I export my coverage?
  Coverage can be exported to either a SHP (ArcView/ArcGIS) format or to a MIF (MapInfo) format. The signal bins specified in the “Signal Strength Bins” will be used to determine the polygons exported, where each polygon represents a signal bin.
• What other external data can I use for mapping?
  Typically any ArcView SHP file can be displayed (not used for analyses) in ComSiteDesign as long as the data is in Geographic coordinates (lat/lon). Only polygon shapefiles can be imported into ComSiteDesign and used for analyses (also known as User Defined Polygons).
  
  GeoTiffs can also be used for referencing, while providing a customized background area of operation. Other customizations have been performed (pipelines, railroads, rivers/lakes, coastline, etc). For more information on this service, please contact comsitesupport@rcc.com.
  
  Microsoft’s MapPoint is the preferred presentation quality map background. It also provides other points of interest, including police stations, train stations, restaurants, libraries, etc.

Sites

• Why do I get a “Warning: TX antenna height is greater that height of structure” or “Warning: RX antenna height is greater that height of structure” message?
  ComSiteDesign used the Structure Height defined in the Site Options tab to compare against the TX and RX antenna installation heights. This is just a warning that tells the user that either the TX or RX antennas are placed above the Structure Height. Generally, if the antenna is being placed above a structure, the antenna becomes part of the structure, and therefore the Structure heights should be changed to reflect this.

Propagation

• When I propagate, I get a “Cannot propagate: No active sectors defined with the Specified Technology & System Type” message. What does this mean?
  ComSiteDesign allows the user to create multiple networks (Cellular, LMR, Microwave, etc). However, only one can be propagated at a time. The purpose of the message is to warn the user that the Subscriber System/Technology combination does not match that of the active sites. To avoid this error, make sure the System/technology for the Subscriber matches that of the Active Sites.