Q: I am able to use the TAP Import function to bring my Excel spreadsheet information into the TAP Fixed Facility database, but I want to also include the antenna and transmission line information. How do I do that?
A: Antenna and transmission line information is stored in the TAP library files (dBase format database .DBF) files. The Fixed Facility database editor and lookup functions provide the ability to lookup an antenna or transmission line to include in the facility information.
The Fixed Facility database saves the key or "ID" information for the antenna or line in the library file. If you want to include this in an Import process, you will need to import the library ID information as described below.
The Import function is found under the File menu in TAP (this is similar to the import function for TAP Intermod studies):
The Import form is displayed:
Click the Import Data tab, and use the pulldown list to select the type of file you want to import, such as Excel:
You will be prompted for the file you want to import:
After you select the file, click the Import button:
The Field Association form will be displayed:
The data in the two files (the Excel file you want to import, and the TAP Fixed Facility database) is organized in columns, often called "fields". The Field Association form is the mechanism you can use to specify the relationship between the two files.
As an example, suppose you have an Excel spreadsheet with on column called "Name" and you want this information to be imported in to the TAP Fixed Facility "Description" field.
On the Field Association form, in the left pulldown list (which contains all the fields in the file to be imported), find the "Name" field. Then in the right column (the TAP Fixed Facility database fields), find the "Description" field.
When you have the two fields you want to associate selected in the two lists, click the Add button.
(The TAP Fixed Facility database fields related to antenna and line imports are listed at the end of this document.)
When you have made all of the associations you want for this import process, click the Continue button.
The file will be imported into the TAP Fixed Facility database. You can view the results on the Data tab:
You may want to inspect the imported values in the more familiar context of the TAP Fixed Facility editor. Open the editor from the TAP Editors menu:
Find the record you want, and you will see the information from the original file is now in the Fixed Facility database and can be used for facility lookups, path profiles, coverage studies, or any of the other uses of the Fixed Facility database in TAP.
The specific TAP Fixed Facility fields related to antenna and line imports are shown below.
For example, suppose you have an Excel spreadsheet with the antenna information used in this illustration.
Each entry for an antenna or line ID actually requires two fields of information:
In TAP 4.4.764 and later, this information is displayed on the Antenna and Line lookup forms, as shown below:
The file name is shown in parentheses in the form title bar at the top. The Antenna ID is shown in parentheses below the list of antennas.
If the antenna(s) you want to associate with the imported facilities is already in the TAP antenna library, you can use the antenna lookup function from (for example) the Editors menu under Antennas, Quick Plot to find the antenna and make note of the file and ID to include in the external file to import.
If you create a new antenna in the library (manually with the Antenna editor, or importing a manufacturer’s file), you can use the same process after the antenna entry has been created in the library so you will know the ID.
The following table lists the antenna and line related fields that you would need to associate with the external database fields. The names shown for the external database are for this sample file only.
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| Site | ||
| Site Description or Name | Name | DESCRIPTION |
| Site Latitude | Lat | LATITUDE |
| Site Longitude | Lon | LONGITUDE |
| Transmitter | ||
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Transmitter antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | TX_Ant_File | TX A1 FNM |
| ID of Transmitter antenna in the library file | TX_Ant_ID | TX ANT1TYPE ID |
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Line 1 on Transmitter antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | TX_Line1_File | TX L1 FNM |
| ID of Transmitter Line 1 in the library file | TX_Line1_ID | TX LINE1TYPE ID |
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Line 2 on Transmitter antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | TX_Line2_File | TX L2 FNM |
| ID of Transmitter Line 2 in the library file | TX_Line2_ID | TX LINE2TYPE ID |
| Orientation of Transmitter antenna installation relative to the pattern in the library file | TX_Ant_Orient | TX ANT1 ORIENT |
| Electrical beam tilt of the Transmitter antenna (negative values for below the horizon) relative to the pattern in the library file | TX_Ant_Tilt_E | TX ANT1ELECTILT |
| Mechanical beam tilt of the Transmitter antenna (negative values for below the horizon) | TX_Ant_Tilt_M | TX ANT MECHTILT |
| Azimuth in which the antenna is mechanically tilted | TX_Ant_Tilt_M_Az | TX ANT1MECH DIR |
| Primary Receiver | ||
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Primary Receiver (RX1) antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | RX1_Ant_File | RX A1 FNM |
| ID of Primary Receiver (RX1) antenna in the library file | RX1_Ant_ID | RX ANT1 TYPE ID |
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Line 1 on Primary Receiver (RX1) antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | RX1_Line1_File | RX A1 L1 FNM |
| ID of Line 1 on the Primary Receiver (RX1) antenna in the library file | RX1_Line1_ID | RX ANT1LINE1TID |
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Line 2 on Primary Receiver (RX1) antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | RX1_Line2_File | RX A1 L2 FNM |
| ID of Line 2 on the Primary Receiver (RX1) antenna in the library file | RX1_Line2_ID | RX ANT1LINE2TID |
| Diversity Receiver | ||
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Diversity Receiver (RX2) antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | RX2_Ant_File | RX A2 FNM |
| ID of Diversity Receiver (RX2) antenna in the library file | RX2_Ant_ID | RX ANT2 TYPE ID |
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Line 1 on Diversity Receiver (RX2) antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | RX2_Line1_File | RX A2 L1 FNM |
| ID of Line 1 on the Diversity Receiver (RX2) antenna in the library file | RX2_Line1_ID | RX ANT2LINE1TID |
| TAP Antenna Library file name for Line 2 on Diversity Receiver (RX2) antenna (eight character name only, no .DBF extent) | RX2_Line2_File | RX A2 L2 FNM |
| ID of Line 2 on the Diversity Receiver (RX2) antenna in the library file | RX2_Line2_ID | RX ANT2LINE2TID |
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