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Qtn: I'm having difficulty getting the calculator links to work on the download page?
Ans: In the event of connection problems to the on-line calculators, try the following links:
Primary URL: http://www.atdi.uk.com/webobjx
Backup URL: http://62.49.36.188/webobjx
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Qtn. How do I model the nuisance field from a network of culprit stations within an allotment into the boundary of a distant victim allotment (or area) using RRC06 methods where I have no actual transmitter data?
Ans. This involves setting up a single station that represents your culprit allotment, and using this to determine the field strength at the distant victim allotment.
1. Upload the culprit allotment polygons to be tested to ICS Manager (if you don't have ICS Manager you can skip this and go straight to 2.). Then transfer the allotments to ICS Telecom.
2. Place a station of the correct frequency roughly in the centre of the allotment area. Don't worry about ERP and antenna polar response - put something that might reasoinably represent the allotment. ICS Telecom will create an appropriate virtual station with an appropriate polar response and ERP at the highest point in the polygon.
3. Draw (or load from ICS Manager) the polygon representing the culprit allotment area and assign the limit field strength at the allotment edge in the polygon parameters. This can also be done by selecting the polygon and editing the parameters.
4. On completion, assign the 'last polygon to ...' and enter the station number of the station placed in 2.
5. Then click Options, Report, ITU Coordination, Modify Station According to RRC04/06. This creates a virtual station that complies with the RRC06 method for computing limit FS at allotment boundaries.
6. Then do a coverage plot using Rec ITU-R 1546-2 for the time and locations percentages needed.
7. By drawing the victim allotment boundaries in the same way as above you can then see breaches, carry out filtering and other basic analyses.
8. Using Options, Report, ITU Coordination, UFS-NFS, NFS Vector Polygon obtain a report of the nuisance field at the victim polygon vertices.
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Qtn: I'm having problems importing drive test data into ICS Telecom. I keep getting "Number of Values 0" in the message area in the bottom right of the screen.
Ans: This is a common problem and comes mainly from not having the data in the format needed for import. Here are some of the common issues.
The format is X [separator] Y [separator] Field Strength Value <CR>. The first thing is to organise your data using Excel and WordPad to be in that form. The Field Strength can in fact be in signal power (dBm) or signal level (dBuV) with appropriate scaling carried out in ICS Telecom in the CORRELATION - GENERIC FORMAT dialogue box.
Check that you have the right coordinate code entered. Check that you have the X and Y coordinates as Eastings and Northings even if you have a DMS or DDD coordinate code. And check that your coordinates are in the right form. Use the coordinate readout on the top left of the screen to check manually that the locations of the drive test points do indeed occur on the map area loaded.
Check that you have the threshold set below the values (or values when converted into field strength) since setting this above the imported values will cause the imported values to be ignored.
Finally if all else fails make some dummy data using X, Y, FS values that does appear on the screen obeying the above guidelines. Then amend the good data step by step to be as the first few lines of the data to be imported and fault find as you go to prove the changes you need to make.
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Subject: ICS Telecom/HTZ Warfare/ICS Manager Dongles/Hardware Keys
ICS Telecom and other tools do not need dongle drivers when used with the Parallel or Network Dongle, although it does no harm to install them.
Driver - Sentinel Superpro
The dongle drivers are required for USB keys and the very latest ones should be downloaded from http://www.safenet-inc.com/support/tech/sentinel.asp
The ones on the old install cd's may not work, especially on a machine that has been using Windows Update.
Network - Sentinel Superpro Net
If you are using the Network Dongle, ICS Telecom may not work, because a firewall may be blocking it. Once the firewall is disabled you must select it on a per program basis, becuase the port is dynamic. In Windows XPSP2 go to the firewall from the control panel and select the program under exceptions. This will need to be done for each program that accesses the network dongle.
Broadcasts
The network dongle works by finding the dongle server using broadcasts. On some networks, broadcasts may be blocked due to a bridging device, or a block on broadcasts. To get round this problem insert the NSP_HOST=<servername/ip address> e.g. into the environment variables. For example you would have to do this to use a network dongle over a VPN.
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Qtn: Can a database, located on the network, be used by several workstations running ICS Telecom?
Yes. Once user rights have been set up for the database each workstation can access the 'common' database.
However, some rules apply to information contained within the database.
1 The structure must be compatible with ICS Telecom, a sample should be installed in the ICS Telecom directory when the software is installed
2 All records within the database must have a unique call sign (for radio sites) or link name (for microwave links). This facilitates the identification of each record when reading from or writing to the database and will request confirmation to overwrite an existing record
3 Workstations should not access the same site or link or make changes to parameters at the same time. This will result in one set of changes being lost
4 Only sites where changes have been made need to written back to the 'common' database
5 The database must be updated from within the ICS Telecom workstation. The process is not automatic
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Qtn: If I am using Microsoft Access as my database, does Access need to be installed on all workstations?
This depends on how you intend to use the Access database externally to ICS Telecom. If you only use Access from within the ICS Telecom environment then Access does not need to be installed. However, if as the administrator you need to use the database for other purposes, such as listings for reports, then Access will need to be installed.
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Qtn: Can I import vector information that I currently have in Mapinfo? (ICS Telecom / HTZ Warfare)
Ans: Yes, ICS Telecom allows the import of vectors stored in Mapinfo. Using the Map...Vector Map... menu option .MIF, .DXF and .SHP files can be imported and displayed.
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Qtn: I have several sites on my screen with directional antennas and a link between them and I want ICS Telecom to point the antennas at each other to complete the link. How can I get the software to calculate the azimuth's for me? (ICS Telecom / HTZ Warfare)
Ans: This can be achieved in two places. By using the menu option Objects..Antenna Orientation. This function looks at all the sites with links on the screen and points the antennas at each other. Alternatively you can use the right click method on a single linked site and point it at the other linked site. This is achieved by right clicking on a linked site and selecting antenna orientation.
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Qtn: I have loaded a project up and the numbers displayed within the X and Y coordinates box in the top left of the screen in ICS Telecom are large and don't make any sense. (ICS Telecom / HTZ Warfare)
Ans: Ensure that the correct cartographic grid system has been selected for the mapping being used.
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Qtn: I want to be able to see 3 levels of received thresholds in 3 different colours. Where is this entered? (ICS Telecom / HTZ Warfare)
Ans: Under the menu item Tools...User Palette, the lowest threshold required is entered into the top box and then the 2nd and 3rd. The colours can be changed to represent these by clicking on the corresponding coloured box next to the values entered.
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Qtn: Can I export the path profiles generated from within ICS Telecom? (ICS Telecom / HTZ Warfare)
Ans: Yes the path profile can be exported out to:-
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A text file
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A Path Loss file
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A printout
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Qtn: When I print out a coverage plot the sites are so small they can not be seen on the print? (ICS Telecom / HTZ Warfare)
Ans: When printing either to a file or a printer the scaling of the objects can be very small in certain circumstances. If this scenario is experienced desampling the printed image will increase the size of the objects. A balance between desampling enough and rendering the printed image unintelligible must be reached. This is achieved by changing the pixel resolution in the print options box. For example the normal printing pixel resolution is 1:1 however reducting this to 0.5:1 will increase the size of the objects.
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Qtn: I have a Toshiba Laptop and ATDI software reports "Dongle not found". (ICS Telecom / HerTZ Mapper)
Ans: The Toshiba laptop needs a different set of dongle drivers for Windows XP. Please email technicalsupport@atdi.co.uk to request a download for the instructions and driver.
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Qtn: I have a new Computer and now my ATDI software reports "Dongle not found". (ICS Telecom / HerTZ Mapper)
Ans: It is necessary to install the Dongle driver. On the ATDI software CD browse to the folder \Dongle nt and run the file 'setupx86.exe' open the functions menu and select 'Install Sentinel driver' then follow the on screen instructions. Restart your computer after completion.
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Qtn: What is DAO in the data base import.? (ICS Telecom)
Ans: DAO is an acronym for Database Access Objects and is one of the method of transferring data between ICS Telecom and external database files(such as Access).
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Qtn: The 'import from ASCII file' feature in the Objects menu feature won't import my file. (ICS Telecom)
Ans: Ensure the separator box has a ',' entered if you are using a .csv file and that the order of the columns is correct. You will see any errors in the preview sheet on the set up page.
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Qtn: How can I keep the threshold levels I have set up? (HerTZ Mapper)
Ans: Save the setting in a .lig file in the Legend Box under the customise tab.
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Qtn: How can I import stations into HerTZ Mapper. HerTZ Mapper)
Ans: Use the Import Site facility in the Network menu. Arrange the sites into the columns identity, name, coordinate system, x coordinate, y coordinate. This can be prepared in Excel and saved as a comma separated variable .csv file.
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Qtn: Trying to undertake a frequency assignment but it does not assign frequencies properly? (ICS Telecom)
Ans: Frequency assignment uses interference calculation methods hence it is necessary to have a coverage simulation completed and saved for all the sites/stations being considered.
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Qtn: How can I make the coverage simulation circular around a site instead of square? (ICS Telecom)
Ans: In the Tools menu select 'circular coverage' item. Once selected a tick appears at the side. Note that this cannot be changed if the grid step is not set to 1.
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Qtn: How can I import station information contained in Excel into ICS Telecom. (ICS Telecom)
Ans: Save the file as a comma separated variable file (.csv) and use the 'import from Ascii file' function found in the Object menu. Take care to insert the separator (,) and arrange the columns correctly.
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Qtn: In the internal station database using wildcard character * doesn't sort correctly?. (ICS Telecom)
Ans: Do not use the * wildcard character, but use characters or combinations of them.
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Qtn: have changed my computer and now when I start a project It says 'DEM - NOT Found'. (ICS Telecom / HerTZ Mapper)
Ans: The pointers to the file required for a project are contained in the.pjt file, if you move the data it will not point to the correct drive and/or folder. In Project manager open the file and reselect the file locations for all the elements of the project.
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Qtn: How can I measure coverage of a particular area? (ICS Telecom)
Ans: There are a number of different methods :
a. In ICS Telecom V6, using extended radius around a site. Set up the extended radius distance in the station parameters box / Site Tab. Ensure that coverage simulation is completed. Then coverage can be measured within the extended radius area by using general filter in the map menu by ticking 'extended radius'
b. Using polygons - Firstly create a vector file and draw a polygon around the area of interest using the polygon 'draw mask' tool. Once complete select 'continue' and select 'add to vector file' from the drop down menu. The polygon should now be visible as filled area on screen and you can measure the coverage within the polygon with the polygon covered/vector layer function in the Options menu.
c. Other functions in the options menu can be used to measure coverage of vector polygon areas and within extended radius areas.
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Qtn: When I create a polygon on screen when I try to add this to a vector file I find this item is 'greyed out'. (ICS Telecom)
Ans: Before using vectors it necessary to create a vector file using 'vector map / new vector file' in the Map menu. Also do not forget to save the vector file when you have finished this is not automatic.
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Qtn: I have done a simulation but cannot see any coverage on the screen?
Ans: Ensure the threshold level is low enough and the Palette loaded is appropriate for the lowest level expected.
If this is correct then check if the user defined colour option is selected instead of the default site colour selection.
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Qtn: What is the reference for the CCIR clutter attenuations listed in ICS Telecom/HTZ Warfare
Ans: Clutter treatment is described in Systemes de Radiocommunications Avec les Mobiles by Jean Gabriel Remy, Jean Cuegniet and Cedric Siben. The book was published in 1997 and it was the 2nd edition. On page 68/69 and 70, the clutter attenuations that ICS Telecom uses are listed. The reference the book cites for these values is CCIR: Ilieme Assemblee Pleniere Oslo 1966 Vol II: Propagation.
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