SoftWright LLC software

The VHF/UHF Reliability module provides a flexible, easy-to-use tool for designing and evaluating link reliability in both UHF and VHF bands. It provides calculations of received signal level and fade margin. Using the flexibility of the RF facilities database in TAP, transmit and receive sites can be evaluated in different combinations of locations and hardware configurations to find the best design for each site and the best overall route for multiple site installations. Several propagation models calculate received field strength and the user can select the calculation that provides the most realistic prediction for the path. Printable summaries of various site equipment configurations and path parameters are available to document the design process and the predicted fade margin of the proposed facilities.

The AutoPath module enables TAP to automate setting up path specifications eliminating manual data entry. The program can then plot a path profile for each specified path, as well as compute the field strength value at the end of the path. Path information can be defined from a single transmitter site, or for a different transmitter site for every path. The path information (end point coordinates, antenna heights, earth curvature, transmitter ERP, etc.) can be entered manually into TAP, or imported from another source, such as a spreadsheet or database.

The Microwave Reliability module provides a flexible, easy-to-use tool for designing and evaluating microwave link reliability. It provides calculations of various models of rain attenuation up to 100 GHz, air absorption, path climate and terrain factors, fade margin, reliability, outage, frequency and space diversity improvement. Performance can be calculated for both digital and analog links. Using the flexibility of the RF facilities database in TAP, transmit and receive sites can be evaluated in different combinations of locations and equipment configurations to find the best design for each site and the best overall route for multiple site installations. Printable summaries of various site equipment configurations and path parameters are available to document the design process and the predicted reliability of the proposed facilities.

The Reflection Analysis module will locate potential reflection points along a path and evaluate the potential destructive interference on the received signal. For each point along the path, the antenna heights and path elevation at the point are used with Figures 7A and 7B from Lenkurt. The reflection point distance for that path elevation is determined for both 2/3 (Figure 7A) and 4/3 (Figures 7B) earth curvature.