TRALEC1 – ADVANCED

COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS AND DESIGN
COURSEPACK

Prepared By:
Engr. Leonardo A. Samaniego Jr.

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Introduction to Microwave
Communication System
Module 1

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 MODULE CONTENT
 This module contains the following
subject areas: definition of
microwave and microwave link,
principal applications, historical
background, modes and nature of
microwave systems.

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 LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this module student must be
able to:

1. Define microwave.
2. List some important events in history
which is related to microwave systems.
3. List and discuss the different types of
propagation.
4. Compare analog and digital microwave
system.
5. Explain some applications of microwave
communication system.
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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

 Lecture Notes Module 2 (refer to content library)

 Electronic Communications Systems,
Fundamentals through Advanced. 6th ed. Tomasi,
Wayne (2014).
 Communication Electronics. 2nd ed. Frenzel,
Louis (1995).
 Electronic Communications Systems. 4th ed.
Kennedy-Davis, (1993)
 Electronic Communication Systems, 2nd ed. Blake
(e-book) TRALEC1
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 ASSESSMENT/
DELIVERABLES

 Develop module summary.

 Answer drill exercises and/or
illustrative problems at the end of
the module.
 Spot quiz and Major Exams

 Create problem set of the past and

possible Board Exam questions).

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WHAT IS MICROWAVE?

Microwave refers to electromagnetic

energy having a frequency higher
than 1 gigahertz (billions of cycles
per second), corresponding to
wavelength shorter than 30
centimeters.

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WHAT IS MICROWAVE?

- Millimetric waves

- UHF to EHF

- Signals with frequency from 0.3 GHZ

to 300 GHz
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PRINCIPAL APPLICATIONS

1. Telecommunications

2. Radar and Navigational Aids

3. Industrial, Scientific and Medical

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1. TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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2. RADAR & NAVIGATIONAL
AIDS

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3. INDUSTRIAL, SCIENTIFIC
& MEDICAL
 Microwave ovens
 Industrial Drying/Heating: drying of
paper, printing inks, textiles, food,
thermal treatment of materials,
pharmaceutical products,
vulcanization of rubbers, silicones
 Surveillance and alarm systems

 Microwave Sensors, measurements

and telemetry
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3. INDUSTRIAL, SCIENTIFIC
& MEDICAL
 High-energy scientific applications:
particle accelerators, heating plasma
for thermonuclear fusion

 Medical applications: treating

ofcancers by penetration & heating
effect, microwave cauterization,
medical sterilization, microwave
radiometry diagnosis
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WHAT IS MICROWAVE LINK?

- Simply a high frequency (RF) link

specifically designed to provide
signal connection between two
specific points

-A widely employed broadband

transmission medium commonly
used to transport signals.
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WHAT IS MICROWAVE LINK?

- Also called as LOS (Line-of-Sight),

Radio link, Point-to-point
communication.

• LOS – Straight path, unobstructed by

the horizon, between a transmitting and
receiving antenna.

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NATURE OF MICROWAVE
SYSTEM
- A microwave system is said to be
Analog or Digital depending on the
nature of signal it carries.

a. Analog – radio frequency transmission.

Example: FDM

b. Digital – Used to carry digital signals

Example:
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MODE OF MICROWAVE
SYSTEM
1. Simplex
– one way transmission

2. Duplex
– two way transmission

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DISTANCE

1. Short haul

2. Medium haul

3. Large haul

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APPLICATIONS OF MICROWAVE

1. Audio
2. Video
3. Data
4. Telephone Services E1/T1
5. Cellular telephone
6. Communication link
7. LAN/WAN
8. Remote monitoring
9. Connecting APC
inter-company
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POINT-TO-POINT
APPLICATION

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POINT-TO-POINT
APPLICATION

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POINT-TO-MULTIPOINT
APPLICATION

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APPLICATIONS OF MICROWAVE
1. Point-to-point links as a backbone or tails of
large networks for common carriers, specialized
common carriers, and private and government
entities.

2. Point-to-multipoint systems for TV, telephone,

data, or various mixes thereof.

3. Transport of TV or other video signals such as

community antenna television (CATV) head-end
extension, broadcast transport, and studio-to-
transmitter link.
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APPLICATIONS OF MICROWAVE

4. Specialized digital and digital networks.

5. Power and pipeline companies for the transport

of telemetry, command and control information.

6. Air traffic control center interconnectivity.

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APPLICATIONS OF MICROWAVE

7. Short-haul applications such as linking offices

and buildings in congested urban areas, final
connectivity for common carrier/specialized
common carriers, and tails off fiber optic
trunks.

8. Military applications: fixed point-to-point,

point-to-multipoint, and transportable point-to-
point and radar communications.

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CATV HEAD-END EXTENSION

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STL

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STL

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SPECIALIZED DATA
NETWORK

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SPECIALIZED DATA
NETWORK

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SHORT HAUL

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MILITARY APPLICATIONS

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HISTORY:

1887 – Heinrich Hertz (German) –

generates radio waves and
demonstrates that they share the
same properties as light.

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HISTORY:

1896 – Guglielmo Marconi (Italian) –

files his first of many patents on
wireless transmission by radio. In
1901, he demonstrates radio
telegraphy across the Atlantic Ocean.

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HISTORY:

1919 – Invention of Barkhausen Kurz

tube, which made it possible to build
effective oscillators at frequencies
above 300 MHz.

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HISTORY:

1931 – A.G. Clavier directed the

setting up and demonstration of a
microwave link between Dover,
England and Calais, France.

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HISTORY:
1933 – Marconi installed a
microwave link between Vatican and
the summer residence of Pope, a
distance of 15 miles.

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HISTORY:
1930’s – George C. Southworth and
W.L. Barrow hollow waveguides.

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HISTORY:
1939 – R.H. and S.F. Varian invented
the klystron tube (microwave
source).

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HISTORY:

1940 – J.T.Randal and H.A.H.Boot

developed the high-power cavity
magnetron.

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HISTORY:

1944 – R.Kompfner invented the

traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWT).

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HISTORY:

1955 – Navender Kapany (Indian

American) demonstrates the optical
fiber as low-loss, light transmission
medium.

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HISTORY:

1960 – J.B. Gunn developed the

Gunn diode.

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MICROWAVE FREQUENCY
BANDS
ITU-R BANDS
L Band 1.5 GHz
S Band 2.5 GHz
C Band 4/6 GHz
X Band 8/12 GHz
Ku Band 11/14 GHz & 12 /14 GHz
K Band 20 GHz
Ka Band 30 GHz
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MICROWAVE FREQUENCY
BANDS
ITU- R RECC V.431-6
BAND RADAR VALUE SPACE COMMUNICATION
VALUE
L Band 1 - 2 GHz 1.5 GHz

S Band 2 - 4 GHz 2.5 GHz

C Band 4 - 8 GHz 4/6

X Band 8 - 12 GHz
Ku Band 12 - 18 GHz 11/14 & 12/14 GHz

K Band 18 - 27 GHz 20 GHz

Ka Band 27 - 40 GHz 30 GHz

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WAVELENGTH
CLASSIFICATIONS
ELF 0.30 Hz to 300 Hz
ULF 300 Hz to 3 kHz
VLF 3 kHz to 30 kHz
LF 30 kHz to 300 kHz
MF 300 kHz to 3 MHz
HF 3 MHz to 30 MHz
VHF 30 MHz to 300 MHz
UHF 300 MHz to 3 GHz
SHF 3 GHz to 30 GHz
EHF 30 GHz to TRALEC1
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ITU-R WAVELENGTH CLASSIFICATIONS
This is also one way of describing a microwave link-
millimetric and Centrimetric radio wave transmission.
ELF 0.03 Hz to 0.3 Hz Gigametric Waves
ELF 0.3 Hz to 3 Hz Hectomegametric Waves
ELF 3 Hz to 30 Hz Decamegametric Waves
ELF 30 Hz to 300 Hz Megametric Waves
ULf 300 Hz to 3Khz Hectokilometric Waves
VLF 3KHz to 30 KHz Myriametric Waves
LF 30 KHZ to 300 KHz Kilometric Waves
MF 300 KHz to 3 MHz Hectometric Waves
HF 3 MHz to 30 MHz Decametric Waves
VHF 30 Mhz to 300 MHz Metric Waves
UHF 300 MHz to 3 GHz Decimetric Waves
SHF 3 GHz TO 30 GHz Millimetric Waves
EHF 30 GHz TO 300 GHz Decimillimetric Waves
EHF 300 GHz TO 3THz Centimillimetric waves
EHF TRALEC1
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MICROWAVE RADIO LINK FREQUENCY
ASSIGNMENT FOR FIXED SERVICES

MHz MHz

450-470 5295-6425

890-960 7300-8400

1710-2290 10550-12700

2550-2960 14400-15250

3700-4200 17700-19700
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 Services GHz Remarks
Military 1.710-1.850
Operational fixed 1.850-1.990
STL 1.990-2.110
Common carrier 2.110-2.130
Operational fixed 2.130-2.150
Common carrier 2.160-2.180
Operational fixed 2.500-2.690 TV only
Common carrier 3.700-4.200 Space
Military 4.400-5.000
Common carrier 5.925-6.425 Space
Operational fixed 6.575-6.875
STL 6.875-7.125
Military 7.125-7.750
Military 7.750-8.400
Common carrier 10.7-11.7
Operational fixed 12.2-12.7
CATV STL 12.7-12.95
STL 12.95-13.3
Military 14.4-15.25
Common carrier 17.7-19.7
Common carrier 21.2-23.6
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ITU-R USER ASSIGNMENTS

1. Op. Fixed (Operational Fixed)

Microwave links for the general
public typically used by non-
telecommunication facilities. Frequency
assignment is not changeable.

2. CC (Common carrier)
Microwave links designated to
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ITU-R USER ASSIGNMENTS

3. Govt. (Government)
Microwave links used by
government office although, this
frequency may be offered by the
government to the public for use.

4. DTS (Data Termination Service)

Digital microwave links which
connect data termination equipment to
one another.
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ITU-R BANDWIDTH
ASSIGNMENTS
1. NB (Narrow Band) – Digital channels
having medium speed transmission. Channel
bandwidths maybe between 6 to 10 MHz.

2. WB (Wide Band) – Digital channels having

high speed transmission. The large volume of
information results in large up to 220 MHz.

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NOTE:

There are also numerous amounts of

transmission bandwidths depending on the user
and the capacity of information being carrier.
Again, for the purpose of explanation, only those
uses in commercial microwave system had been
cited here.

As a general rule, the higher the capacity of

microwave system (digital or analog) the larger
the bandwidth.

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APPLICATIONS OF MICROWAVE
Point-to-point links as a backbone or
tails of large networks for common carriers,
specialized common carriers, and private and
government entities.
 Point-to-multipoint systems for TV,
telephone, data, or various mixes thereof.
 Transport of TV or other video signals such
as community antenna television (CATV)
head-end extension, broadcast transport,
and studio-to-transmitter link.

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 Applications of Microwave Link
 Transport of TV or other video signals
such as community antenna television
(CATV) head-end extension, broadcast
transport, and studio-to-transmitter link.

 Specialized digital and digital networks.

 Power and pipeline companies for the

transport of telemetry, command and
control information.
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 Applications of Microwave Link

 Air traffic control center

interconnectivity.
 Short-haul applications such as linking
offices and buildings in congested urban
areas, final connectivity for common
carrier/specialized common carriers, and
tails off fiber optic trunks.
 Military applications: fixed point-to-
point, point-to-multipoint, and
transportable point-to-point and radar
communications.
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ADVANTAGES OF
MICROWAVE SYSTEMS
1. The gain of an antenna is proportional
to its electrical size.

2. A 1% bandwidth provides more

frequency range at microwave
frequencies than that of HF.

3. Microwave signals travel predominantly

by LOS. They don’t reflect off the
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4. At microwave frequencies, the
electromagnetic properties of many
materials are changing with frequency.
This behavior is useful for remote
sensing and other applications.

5. There is much less background noise at

microwave frequencies than RF.
Increased reliability and less
maintenance.
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5. Microwave systems do not require a
right-of-way acquisition between
stations.

6. Fewer repeaters are necessary for

amplification.

7. Underground facilities are minimized.

Increased reliability and less
maintenance.
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APPLICATION OF
MICROWAVE LINK

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APPLICATION OF
MICROWAVE LINK

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 DRILL EXERCISES
 1. Name three (3) applications of
microwave for the following areas:
telecommunications, RADAR and
Navigational Aids, and industrial, science
and medical fields.
 2. What are the advantages of microwave
systems, explain briefly each advantage.
 3. Name at least five (5) applications of
microwave link and discuss the significant
of each in modern times.
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