Indoor RadioPlanner User Manual

Indoor RadioPlanner 2.0

Planning tool for indoor wireless networks

User Manual

Download in PDF format

From the Developers

We have made every effort to create a user-friendly and intuitive application. However, we recommend taking some time to read this User Manual to fully utilize Indoor RadioPlanner’s capabilities. Created by engineers with over 25 years of experience in designing radio communication networks, Indoor RadioPlanner is a full-featured yet simple and convenient planning tool.

Features

Indoor RadioPlanner is designed for planning indoor wireless networks deployed inside buildings, as well as in open local areas.

With Indoor RadioPlanner you can design any network, including:

Wi-Fi networks in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands
Mobile networks: 5G (NR), LTE, UMTS, GSM, WCDMA
Public safety mobile networks: P25, TETRA, DMR, dPMR, NXDN
Wireless IoT LPWAN networks: LoRa, SigFox

Indoor RadioPlanner 2.0 uses propagation models:

ITU-R P.1238-11 propagation model “Propagation data and prediction methods for the planning of indoor radiocommunication systems and radio local area networks in the frequency range of 300 MHz to 450 GHz”.

Indoor RadioPlanner 2.0 performs various prediction types:

Received Power
Best Server
C/(I+N) Ratio
Maximum Throughput
Number of Servers
RSRP for LTE and 5G
RSRQ for LTE and 5G
Maximum aggregated Throughput
Number of Networks

In Indoor RadioPlanner 2.0, you can work with two types of projects:

Indoor project: When access points are placed inside a single- or multi-story building. In this type of project, it is possible to predict detailed coverage on different floors inside buildings, taking into account individual parameters of signal loss of internal walls, RF Zones of different rooms, as well as losses in floor slabs.
Outdoor project: When access points are placed in an outdoor local area up to 2 by 2 km in size. In this type of project, it is possible to predict coverage inside and outside buildings - along streets, in open local areas, etc. Buildings in such a project have two parameters - RF zone type (one for the entire building) and external wall type. In an outdoor project, you can use a regular base map (OpenStreetMap, etc.), or a base map based on a calibrated image.

Indoor and Outdoor projects are not compatible with each other; the user must select the project type in Settings before starting work.

Installation and Activation

Indoor RadioPlanner is compatible with 64-bit Windows 10/11. The minimum computer requirements include a 64-bit Windows operating system, Core i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, 200GB HDD, video card, and monitor with support for 1366x768 resolution. For optimal performance, it is recommended to use a monitor with support for 1920x1080 resolution.

To install Indoor RadioPlanner, run the Setup_Indoor_ RadioPlanner.exe file. Select your language and click Install to launch the installation process. Click Next to continue. To proceed with the installation, read and accept the License Agreement by checking the box next to “I accept the terms in the License Agreement” and clicking Next.

After installing Indoor RadioPlanner, you will see a new entry in the Start menu and a shortcut on your desktop.

During the 7-day trial period, you can try all of the program’s features without activation (except for the option to save project files).

After the trial period has expired, you must purchase a license and activate the software to continue using it.

Note: The activation process requires an internet connection.

To purchase Indoor RadioPlanner, click Help - Purchase in the program menu. This will open the purchase page in your web browser. After completing your purchase, you will receive an activation ID code via email. To activate your software, click Help - Enter Activation ID Code in the program menu, enter your code, and click ACTIVATE.

Software Update

We periodically release free updates to improve the functionality and stability of Indoor RadioPlanner. The software supports both manual and automatic checking for updates and will check for available updates every time it starts. To check for updates manually, click “Help - Check for updates.” If an update is available, a window will open with information about the current and available versions. You can download the update from the provided link and install it manually. Be sure to exit Indoor RadioPlanner before installing the update.

User Interface

The program window includes the following elements:

The main tree view menu on the left side of the window.
The main toolbar, located at the top of the window.
The central work area, which displays the level (floor) plan with access points, RF zones, walls, and coverage prediction results.
The objects control panel, located in the lower-left part of the window. This panel allows you to enable or disable editing of objects on the map (Access Points, Reference Points, Walls, RF Zones, Level Plans, Coverage), as well as control their visibility.

To zoom in and out, roll the mouse wheel. To move the level plan, click and drag it.

User interface

Standard tools for working with files: Create, Open, Save

Save the project

The zoom of the level plan

Calculate Coverage for current level

Received Power (DL)

Calculation type shown on display

Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz 802.11n

Network for which calculation results are displayed

Under Construction. The “ruler” tool allows you to measure the distance and azimuth between any two points on the map. To use this tool, click on the ruler icon and then click on any two points on the map. The distance between the points and the azimuth from the first to the second point will be displayed. To exit the tool, right-click anywhere on the map.

Snap to Nodes. Enable/disable snapping to nodes when drawing walls and RF zones

Show / Hide Legend

Save the map as an image in PNG format

Save the access points and networks settings to a CSV file

Help

For more detailed information about each tool, please refer to the corresponding sections in the User Manual.

Quick start of Indoor Project

Make sure the project type is set to "Indoor" in the settings (this is the default).
Create at least one network: Go to “Networks – Add network”. Network settings can be loaded from a template. Templates for some networks are located in the “Templates” folder and have a *.nwirp extension.
Create at least one level (floor): Select “Levels – Add level”. Then, from the Level menu, load and scale the level image. Specify the reference point to which all other levels will be aligned.
Draw RF zones and walls on the level.
Add at least one access point with one System (communication technology) to the level: Access point parameters can be loaded from a template. Templates for some access points are located in the “Templates” folder and have a *.apirp extension. Link the access point system with the previously created network. After creating one access point and entering all its parameters, you can easily replicate it to create additional ones.
Configure the calculation parameters in the network settings as needed.
To perform calculations: Click “Calculate Coverage for current level” on the main toolbar. This will execute all types of calculations for all networks simultaneously.
Select the type of calculation and the network for display: Use the drop-down list on the main toolbar to choose the calculation type and the network for which the results will be displayed.

Tip: To get started quickly, utilize the example project files available in the installation folder.

Project Information

A new project is automatically created when Indoor RadioPlanner is launched. The File menu contains standard buttons (New, Open, Save, Save As) for performing standard file operations. Project files can be saved with the *.irp2 extension and contain all information about the project.

General information about the project can be specified in the project information panel.

Project Information

Project name

Customer

Data

Logo

Text field

Text field - When creating a new project, it records the date and time of the project creation.

Your company logo. The recommended resolution is approximately 270 by 60 pixels.

Settings

In the project settings, the user selects the project type. If the project type is Indoor, no additional settings are required. If you select the project type Outdoor, additional settings will appear.

Please note that when changing the project type, all previously entered information about wireless access points in the project will be lost!

Indoor Projects Settings

Outdoor Projects Settings

General Calc Parameters

Here you set a number of general calculation parameters, as well as penetration losses in various types of walls.

General Calc Parameters

Area Study Resolution

Coverage prediction resolution, m
The recommended value for Indoor projects is 0.2-0.3 meters. For Outdoor projects - 0.5m-1m.

UE Antenna Height

Study radius

Coverage Transparency

Outdoor RF Environment

User Equipment antenna height, m

Maximum study radius from access point, m The larger the radius, the longer the computation time. Do not set an unnecessarily large calculation radius.

Set coverage opacity in the range from 0 (fully transparent) to 10 (not transparent)

RF Environment for outdoor spaces in Outdoor project type

Objects visibility and locking Panel

The Objects Visibility and Locking Panel is located in the lower-left part of the program window. This panel enables you to:

Control the visibility of objects on the map, such as Access Points, Reference Points, Walls, Buildings (for outdoor project types), RF Zones, Floor Plan (base map for outdoor project), and Coverage, by toggling them on or off.
Lock or unlock layers to permit or restrict editing.

Visibility and locking of objects are managed by clicking on the icons located opposite the corresponding objects in the list. To edit objects, they must be both visible and unlocked. This is achieved by setting the icons to the

Levels

In Indoor projects, you can create buildings with an unlimited number of levels (floors). In outdoor projects, you can only create one level.

Levels menu for Indoor project

Levels menu for Outdoor project

Level plan options

Add a new level

Collapse all level nodes

Collapse all AP nodes

Expand all AP nodes

Calibrated image or base map (for outdoor project only)

Level

Level menu

Level plan image

Move the Level up

Move the Level down

Delete Level

Add a new Level with the same parameters (duplicate the Level)

Position the plan with Reference Point at the screen center

Move the reference point and the line to the screen center

Add a new Access Point

Delete all APs from the Level

Delete all walls from the Level

Add new RF Zone

Add new wall

Add wall or building like as circle or rectangle

Square corners of selected objects

Add a node. Select an object (RF zone or wall) and click in the desired location to create a node.

Delete node. Select an object (RF zone or wall) and click on the node you want to delete.

Select walls, RF Zones, Buildings inside square area

Select walls, RF Zones, Buildings inside area

Duplicate selected objects (walls, RF Zones, buildings)

Add a new building

Import buildings from OpenStreetMap database

Copy selected object to clipboard

Paste objects from clipboard

Undo

Redo

Import Level plan

Import level plan image

Delete level plan image

Creating a building RF Environment Model

The basic propagation model ITU-R P.1238-11 takes into account two parameters related to the propagation environment:

N: Power loss over distance (RF propagation parameter) shows how much the signal level drops in dB when the distance from the signal source changes by a factor of 10 (per decade).

Lf, dB: Floor slab or wall penetration loss factor (in dB) for floor slabs or walls located between the access point and the subscriber terminal (UE).

In Indoor RadioPlanner 2.0, different approaches to forming an RF environment model are used for indoor and outdoor projects.

In the Indoor project, a model of a single- or multi-story building is created with the ability to specify individual loss parameters for each wall and RF Zone of individual rooms.

For Outdoor projects, buildings are created with their own RF Zone (one type per building) and the external wall (also one type per building). And one type of RF Zone is also specified for the external environment.

Indoor Projects

RF Environment (RF Zones)

To create RF environment model inside a building, you need to draw different RF zones and walls with corresponding loss parameters.

RF Zone parameters

You can draw the following RF environment types on the floor plan:

• Open Space (large open space with almost no obstacles) - 25 dB/dec
• Light RF Environment (cubicle office area, low warehouse stock) - 30 dB/dec
• Medium RF Environment (closed office area, medium warehouse stock) - 35 dB/dec
• Dense RF Environment (many rooms with light material, high warehouse stock) - 40 dB/dec
• High-Density RF Environment (many rooms with heavy material, elevator shaft) - 45 dB/dec
• Atrium - large opening in the floor (hole), excluded from prediction calculations

Working with RF Zones

Before drawing RF zones, ensure the object layer is unlocked for editing.

Adding an RF Zone:

Click on the RF Zone tool in the level toolbar.
Draw a polygon to represent the RF environment using the mouse (right-click to complete the polygon).
Select the RF environment coefficient from the list that appears.
Press Esc or select another tool from the toolbar to complete your entry.
For added convenience, use the Snap to Nodes tool on the main toolbar.

Operations on RF Zones:

Edit Shapes: Drag the nodes of polygons to modify their shape.
Move Polygons: Click and drag to reposition entire polygons.
Delete Polygons: Select a polygon and press Delete to remove it.

Cancel Drawing: Press the Esc key to cancel the current RF zone drawing. Pressing Esc again will exit the RF zone drawing mode.

Walls

You can draw the following wall types on the floor plan:

Wall parameters

Drawing Walls

Before drawing walls, ensure the object layer is unlocked for editing.

To Add a Wall:

Click on the Wall tool on the level toolbar.
Use the mouse to draw the wall (right-click to finish).
Select the wall type from the list that appears.
Press Esc or select another tool from the toolbar to complete your entry.
For more convenient work, use the Snap to Nodes tool on the main toolbar.

Operations on Walls:

Edit Shapes: Drag the nodes of walls to modify their shape.
Move Walls: Click and drag to reposition entire walls.
Delete Walls: Select a wall and press Delete to remove it.
Cancel Drawing: Press the Esc key to cancel the current wall drawing. Pressing Esc again will exit the wall drawing mode.

Different materials exhibit varying attenuation values for different frequencies. The table provided illustrates the attenuation values for the 800 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. These values are detailed in the General Calc Parameters menu.

Customizing Attenuation Values

You can populate the attenuation values table based on the data available for your specific frequency range. If the calculations involve a frequency range not covered in the table, the attenuation value will be estimated using interpolation or extrapolation methods.

Indoor RadioPlanner takes into account the penetration of useful signal or interference only from access points located on adjacent floors, i.e. one floor above and one floor below.

Outdoor Projects

Buildings

As already mentioned, for Outdoor projects only buildings are created. Each building has only three parameters - attenuation of the internal RF Zone, losses of the external wall, and building height. Also in the General Calc Parameters, it is necessary to specify the type of RF Zone for the external environment. The user can draw buildings or import them from the OpenStreetMap database.

Building parameters

Working with Buildings

Before drawing Buildings, ensure the object layer is unlocked for editing.

Add Buildings manually:

Click on the Add a new Building in the level toolbar.
Draw a polygon to represent the building using the mouse (right-click to complete the polygon).
Specify building height.
Select the exterior wall type from the list
Select the indoor RF Zone from the list.
Press Esc or select another tool from the toolbar to complete your entry.

Import buildings from OpenStreetMap database (Only for outdoor projects with basemap):

Click Import buildings from OpenStreetMap database on the level toolbar.
Mark the area on the map where the buildings will be imported (no more than 2 by 2 km).
In the form that appears, specify the parameters of the heights and floors of the buildings if there is no information about them in the database.
Specify the RF Zone type and the type of external walls for all buildings at once or separately for each building.

Buildings imported in this way can then be edited manually.

Operations on Buildings:

Edit Shapes: Drag the nodes of polygons to modify their shape.
Move Polygons: Click and drag to reposition entire polygons.
Delete Polygons: Select a polygon and press Delete to remove it.

Cancel Drawing: Press the Esc key to cancel the current RF zone drawing. Pressing Esc again will exit the Buildings drawing mode.

Networks

Indoor RadioPlanner 2.0 allows you to work with multiple networks in one project. When creating a new project, the first network is created by default.

Networks menu

Add a new network

Area Study Type

Coverage predictions for multiple networks:
- Number of Networks (DL)
- Number of Networks (UL)
- Maximum Aggregated (DL) Throughput
- Maximum Aggregated (UL) Throughput
See Coverage predictions for multiple networks section

The “Network” menu is used to set all parameters for the selected network and calculation parameters.

Network menu

Add a new network with the same parameters (duplicate the network)

Delete the network

Move the Network up

Move the Network down

Activate/Deactivate all systems for current network

System parameters

Load network parameters from a template

Save network parameters as a template

Network name

System type

Band

UE Tx Power

Downlink Rx threshold

Uplink Rx threshold

UE Antenna Gain

UE Loss

Use UE directional antenna pattern

Use co-channel interference

Use adj-channel interference

Name of network, text field

System type options:

Generic TRX (including Wi-Fi)
LTE
5G

The selected system type will determine the set of additional system parameters, as well as the types of coverage predictions available.

Average downlink frequency, MHz

User Equipment (mobile unit) transmitter power, dBm

This threshold value will limit the coverage prediction display based on whether the signal received at the UE from the access point is above or below this threshold, dBm

This threshold value will limit the coverage prediction display based on whether the signal received at the access point from UE is above or below this threshold, dBm

User Equipment antenna gain, dBi

User Equipment cable loss, dB

Use the antenna pattern at the UE. By default, the UE antenna pattern is assumed to be isotropic. The use of directional antennas on the UE significantly reduces interference from neighboring cells and, as a result, increases throughput.

Perform coverage calculation taking into account co-channel interference using frequency assignments.

Perform coverage calculation taking into account adjacent channel interference using parameters in network settings (Channel bandwidth and Adjacent Channel rejection) as well as frequency assignments.

LTE System Parameters

LTE System Parameters

Mode

LTE duplex mode:
- FDD
- TDD

Bandwidth

Cyclic Prefix

TDD UL/DL Ratio

R1/R3 FDD Ratio

TDD R1 Ratio

FFR SINR Threshold

Cell Load

Downlink and Uplink 3GPP Tables

LTE bandwidth: 1.4 MHz; 3 MHz; 5 MHz; 10MHz; 15 MHz; 20 MHz

LTE Cyclic Prefix:
- 4.7 µs (Normal)
- 16.7 µs (Extended)

TDD configurations in 3GPP LTE specification:

TDD Configuration # UL/total ratio DL/total ratio

0 0.7 0.3

1 0.5 0.5

2 0.3 0.7

3 0.35 0.65

4 0.25 0.75

5 0.15 0.85

6 0.6 0.4

Type of Fractional Frequency Reuse (FFR) plan that is being used in LTE project in the R1/R3 zone Resource Blocks drop-down list

Part (from 0.1 to 1) the R1 zone subcarriers of physical resource blocks (PRB) for TDD

SINR threshold for switching between R1 and R3 zones in FFR, dB

Cell Load, 0-100 % Cell Loading is considered uniform.

These tables contain the MCS Index, modulation type, and transport block size (TBS) specified in the tables of 3GPP TS 36.213. Minimum C/(I+N) values for 1% SER (dB) can be specified separately for both uplink and downlink. The theoretical defaults shown in this table are from published MATLAB simulations of LTE radio link performance. The throughput for each modulation index is determined from the 3GPP tables, taking into account the transport block size. This throughput does not take into account the MIMO multiplier.

Network Channel Plan

In the channel table, specify all possible uplink and downlink frequencies (channels) that will be used in the network. For TDD, enter the same frequency. If the network operates on a single channel, then the frequencies in the Network Channel Plan may not be specified.

LTE Network Channel Plan

MIMO Configuration

The MIMO table is fully configurable for all downlink and uplink scenarios.

LTE MIMO Configuration

Noise and Interference

The receiver parameters in this tab are used for noise and interference calculations.

LTE Noise and Interference

Rx equivalent noise bandwidth

Receiver Equivalent Noise Bandwidth, MHz
In LTE systems, when using all resource blocks, the following noise bandwidths are obtained:
1.08 MHz (1.4 MHz Bandwidth)
2.7 MHz (3 MHz Bandwidth)
4.5 MHz (5 MHz Bandwidth)
9 MHz (10 MHz Bandwidth)
13.5 MHz (15 MHz Bandwidth)
18 MHz (20 MHz Bandwidth)

Rx noise figure

Rx noise level

Adjacent channel rejection

Receiver noise figure, dB Typically 3-4 dB for eNodB and 6 dB for UE

Receiver noise level, dB This value is used to estimate the noise on the receiving path when calculating all types of interference.

Adjacent channel rejection, dB It is assumed that the receiver has a rectangular “brick wall” bandpass shape with a width equal to the equivalent noise bandwidth. Under these conditions, you can set the amount of attenuation on adjacent channels (one bandwidth above and below the desired bandwidth) by entering a value here for adjacent channel rejection.

5G (NR) System Parameters

5G Parameters

Mode

Duplex mode:
- FDD
- TDD

Configuration

Downlink and Uplink 3GPP Tables

Choice from bandwidth (BW) and Subсarrier Spacing (SCS) configurations.

These tables contain the MCS Index, modulation type, and Target code rate specified in the tables of 3GPP TS 36.214. Minimum C/(I+N) values for 1% SER (dB) can be specified separately for both uplink and downlink. The theoretical defaults shown in this table are from published MATLAB simulations of 5G radio link performance. The throughput for each modulation index is determined from the 3GPP tables. This throughput does not take into account the MIMO multiplier.

DL symbols part in TDD slot (0..1)

Part of the TDD resource that is intended for downlink

Cell Load, 0-100 % Cell Loading is considered uniform.

Network Channel Plan

5G Network Channel Plan

MIMO Configuration

The MIMO table is fully configurable for all downlink and uplink scenarios.

5G MIMO Configuration

Noise and Interference

The receiver parameters in this tab are used for noise and interference calculations.

5G Noise and Interference

Rx equivalent noise bandwidth

Receiver Equivalent Noise Bandwidth, MHz
In 5G, the noise band can be obtained from the formula:
Rx equivalent noise BW= 12*SCS*Resource Blocks.
For example, for BW=100 MHz, SCS=30 kHz
Rx equivalent noise BW=12*0.03*273=98.28 MHz

Rx noise figure

Rx noise level

Adjacent channel rejection

Receiver noise figure, dB Typically 3-4 dB for eNodB and 6 dB for UE

Receiver noise level, dB This value is used to estimate the noise on the receiving path when calculating all types of interference.

Generic TRX System Parameters

Generic TRX in Indoor RadioPlanner includes all mobile communication systems except for LTE and 5G:

Wi-Fi networks
UMTS / GSM / GSM-R / WCDMA mobile networks
P25 / TETRA / DMR / dPMR / NXDN land mobile radio networks

Networks based on wireless IoT LPWAN technologies: LoRa, SigFox, and others

Adaptive Modulation Table

The adaptive modulation table is filled with SINR values and their respective throughput for one spatial stream (no MIMO). This table is used to predict downlink and uplink throughput in Generic TRX.
Note that LTE and 5G have separate adaptive modulation tables tied to 3GPP specifications.

Wi-Fi 6 GHz 802.11ax Adaptive Modulation Table for BW 80 MHz

Modulation Type

DL Throughput

DL SINR (dB)

UL Throughput

UL SINR (dB)

Mbps or kbps

Modulation Type (text field)

Downlink Throughput, Mbps or kbps

Downlink SINR,dB

Uplink Throughput, Mbps or kbps

Uplink SINR,dB

Select Throughput Units

Network Channel Plan

Wi-Fi 6 GHz 802.11ax Channel Plan for BW 80 MHz

Sort frequencies in ascending order

Autofill downlink frequencies

Autofill uplink frequencies

If your network has a large frequency grid, then you can use the autofill feature:

Channel Autofill

MIMO Configuration

The MIMO table is fully configurable for all downlink and uplink scenarios.

Generic TRX MIMO Configuration

Noise and Interference

The receiver parameters in this tab are used for noise and interference calculations.

Generic TRX Noise and Interference

Rx equivalent noise bandwidth

Rx noise figure

Rx noise level

Adjacent channel rejection

Receiver Equivalent Noise Bandwidth, MHz

Receiver noise figure, dB Typically 3-4 dB for base station and 6 dB for UE

Receiver noise level, dB This value is used to estimate the noise on the receiving path when calculating all types of interference.

Access Points

An access point within Indoor RadioPlanner is a device that can encompass one or more systems (technology standards). For instance, a Wi-Fi access point might support multiple frequencies such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. In the program, each technology standard is referred to as a “System.”
To create a first Access Point, click on Level in the Tree View interface, then click the "Add a new Access Point" button in the panel that opens. Subsequently, it is efficient to generate additional access points based on the first one created.

Access Point Parameters

Add a new system

Add a new Access Point with the same parameters (Duplicate)

Delete this Access Point

Move Access Point up

Move Access Point down

Position the plan with the Access Point at the center of the screen

Load Access Point parameters from a template

Save Access Point parameters as a template

Copy this AP to clipboard

Name

Equipment

Latitude

Longitude

AP name, text field

Name (model) of AP equipment, text field

Latitude (only for outdoor projects with Basemap underlay)

Longitude (only for outdoor projects with Basemap underlay)

The antenna configuration at one Access Point can be of three options:

All systems have omnidirectional antennas
All systems have directional antennas with same azimuth
All systems have directional antennas with different azimuths (for outdoor projects only)

Antenna parameters depend on system configuration options and may be specified here or in specific system parameters.

Systems

There is an activity icon next to each access point and system in the tree view of the interface. For a system to be calculated, it must be marked as active (the dot in the center). When you click on a system, a panel with its parameters will open.

System Parameters

Add a new System with the same parameters

Delete the System

Move Access Point up

Move Access Point down

Channel Plan

Position the map with the system at the center of the screen

Global Active System parameters change. You can replace the selected parameters for all active Systems as the current System.

Name

Network

MIMO

Tx Power

Cable Loss

Antenna Gain

Azimuth

Antenna Height

Antenna Beam Tilt

System name, text field

The network to which the System belongs, select from the drop-down list of networks.

MIMO type for the System, selection from a drop-down list of all possible MIMO configurations specified in the parameters of this network.

Transmitter power, dBm

Loss in cable, dB

Antenna gain, dBi

The azimuth of the antenna in degrees

The antenna height, m

Tilt the antenna in degrees. Down is negative; up is positive.

Load MSI antenna pattern file. An antenna pattern file is a standard MSI file that can be downloaded from the antenna manufacturer's website. Antenna patterns are integrated into the project file.

Select OMNI antenna pattern

Global Active Systems parameters change

Global Active System parameters change is a feature that allows you to instantly change the parameters of any active Systems to match those of the current System. To perform group parameter changes, mark the Systems whose parameters need to be changed as active, set the required parameter values in the current System, click on the button , select the parameters that need to be changed in the previously marked active systems from the list, and click on the OK button.

Systems

In the Sector Channel Plan, you can select specific frequencies (or channel numbers) from the entire frequency grid specified in the System Parameters of this network.

System Channel Plan

Area Study (Coverage Prediction) types

Indoor RadioPlanner 2.0 performs various types of area studies:

Received Power Uplink/Downlink
Best Server Uplink/Downlink
C/(I+N) Ratio Uplink/Downlink
Maximum Throughput Uplink/Downlink
Number of Servers Uplink/Downlink
RSRP for LTE and 5G
RSRQ for LTE and 5G
Maximum aggregated Throughput Uplink/Downlink
Number of Networks Uplink/Downlink

The availability of a particular area study type is determined by the type of system chosen.

When you click the "Calculate Coverage for Current Level" button on the main toolbar, all prediction types are performed at once. The prediction displayed on the screen can then be selected from the main toolbar.

Received power Downlink/Uplink

Received power maps show those areas where a given signal power level is present at the receiver.
You can choose prediction visualization as a heat map or a composite grid.

Received power as a heatmap visualization

Max Level

Min Level

Max visualization level, dBm

Min visualization level, dBm

Received power as a composite grid visualization

Number of Levels

Color

Values

Description

The number of levels (1-8)

Color level

Received power level, dBm

Text field to describe signal level

Indoor Uplink Received Power Coverage Prediction

Outdoor Downlink Received Power Coverage Prediction

Best Server Uplink/Downlink

The Best Server map shows the identity of the system supplying the strongest received signal at each location. The minimum received signal level for calculating the Best Server is downlink/uplink Rx threshold. The system color is defined in the sector parameters or can be assigned automatically.

Best Server Study Type Parameters

Apply Automatic Color Assignment

Assign colors to sectors in random order

Use Colors from System parameters

Assigning based on colors specified in system parameters

Best Server Indoor

Best Server Outdoor

C/(I+N) Ratio Downlink/Uplink

The carrier-to-interference+noise ratio (C/(I+N)) is an essential quantity used in assessing system performance and affecting frequency planning. Indoor RadioPlanner allows you to calculate and display areas with different downlink/uplink C/(I+N) values for interference on co-channel and adjacent channels.
Carrier-to-interference+noise ratio is calculated by first finding the strongest received signal power at each location, then calculating the sum of received signal powers from all other co-channel and adjacent systems (taking into account adjacent channel rejection) that also have relevant signal levels at that location. After finding the sum of interference, the carrier-to-interference+noise ratio is calculated.
The interference calculation always takes into account the noise component, which depends on noise bandwidth and receiver noise figure entered in Noise and Interference in Network system settings. The calculation of adjacent channel interference can be disabled to only take into account co-channel interference.

C/(I+N) Downlink Ratio Study Type Parameters

Number of Levels

Color

Value

Description

The number of levels

Color level

Carrier-to-interference+noise ratio C/(I+N), dB

Text field

C/(I+N) Downlink

Maximum Downlink / Uplink Throughput

This prediction type shows maximum cell throughput.

For LTE/5G System Types, this study calculates MCS Index for each point based on predicted C/(I+N) from LTE/5G system parameters tab of Network. Throughput associated with MCS is determined using 3GPP specified formulas and tables.

For Generic TRX System Type (including Wi-Fi), this study calculates Throughput for each point based on predicted C/(I+N) from Adaptive Modulation Table in system parameters tab of Network.

Maximum Downlink Throughput Study Type Parameters

Number of Levels

Color

Value

Description

The number of levels

Color level

Maximum Throughput, Mbps

Text field

Maximum Downlink Throughput Coverage Prediction for indoor 5G CBRS N48 (3500 MHz) Network

Maximum Downlink Throughput Coverage Prediction for oudoor 5G CBRS N48 (3500 MHz) Network

Number of Servers Uplink/Downlink

This study indicates total number of systems that provide a signal above Rx threshold at each location.

Number of Servers Above Downlink Study Type Parameters

Maximum Number of Sectors

Color

Description

Maximum number of displayed servers above uplink

Color indicating the appropriate number of systems

Text field

Number of Servers Above Downlink for Wi-Fi

Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP)

This study calculates the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) from all resource elements of a cell at the remote UE receiver using system parameters of LTE and 5G networks (bandwidth, subcarrier spacing). You can choose prediction visualization as a heat map or a composite grid.

RSRP as a heatmap visualization

Max Level

Min Level

Max visualization level, dBm

Min visualization level, dBm

RSRP as a composite grid visualization

Number of Levels

Color

Values

Description

The number of levels (1-8)

Color level

Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), dBm

Text field to describe signal level

RSRP coverage prediction for indoor 5G CBRS N48 (3500 MHz) Network

RSRP coverage prediction for outdoor 5G CBRS N48 (3600 MHz) Network

Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ)

This study calculates the Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) from all resource elements at the remote UE receiver using system parameters of LTE and 5G networks (bandwidth, subcarrier spacing, cell load, and C/(I+N) ratio).

RSRQ Study Type Parameters

Number of Levels

Color

Values

The number of levels (1-8)

Color level

Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), dB

Description

Text field to describe signal level

RSRQ coverage prediction for indoor 5G CBRS N48 (3500 MHz) Network

Coverage predictions for multiple networks

Number of Networks Downlink / Uplink

This prediction shows number of networks providing service at each calculation point for downlink or uplink. Calculation is performed for respective thresholds Rx of each network taken into account in calculation.

Number of Networks Downlink Study Type Parameters

Number of Levels

Color

Description

Maximum number networks

Color indicating the number of networks

Text field

Number of Networks Downlink Coverage Prediction for indoor LTE Band 12 and 5G N48

Maximum Aggregated Downlink / Uplink Throughput

This prediction type shows the total throughput at each point for all networks involved in the calculation.

Maximum Aggregated Downlink Throughput Study Type Parameters

Number of Levels

Color

Values

Description

The number of levels (1-8)

Color level

Maximum Aggregated Throughput, Mbps

Text field

Maximum Aggregated Downlink Throughput Coverage Prediction for indoor LTE Band 2 and 5G N48

Saving the Coverage Prediction Result

Save the level plan as a PNG image - Save the result of the coverage calculation as an image file in *.png format. The saved image will include the same area and Legend placement as currently displayed on the screen. You can select the image resolution and the size of the access point icons. The resolution can match the current size or be two or four times larger. The better the resolution, the larger the saved file size.

Save the level plan as a PNG image

Report

Using the "Save Access Point Settings List as CSV" button on the main toolbar, you can save a configuration report of all access points and networks. This CSV file can then be opened in Excel.

Report in Microsoft Excel

Help

In this menu, you will find information about the developer, a link to the user manual, and an option to check for updates. The trial version will also have links to the purchase page and activation menu. After activating the program, these menu items will disappear.