This document describes a MapBasic tool that creates pie-shaped sector polygons from cell site location and azimuth data. The tool allows the user to select columns from an open table containing latitude, longitude, azimuth and other optional sector fields. It adds a button and menu to MapInfo to launch the sector creation process. The output is a new table of sector polygons that can be used for labeling and thematic mapping of wireless network coverage.

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Make Sectors Tool

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1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 3
1.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 REQUIRED TABLE FORMAT...................................................................................... 3
2 STARTING MAPBASIC PROGRAM.......................................................................... 3
2.1 FROM MS EXPLORER............................................................................................... 3
2.2 FROM MAPINFO........................................................................................................ 4
3 MAKE_SECTOR TOOL................................................................................................ 4
3.1 TOOL BUTTON .......................................................................................................... 4
3.2 MENU BAR ................................................................................................................ 4
4 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.......................................................................................... 7
APPENDIX A.......................................................................................................................... 8
APPENDIX B.......................................................................................................................... 9

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1 Introduction
1.1 General
This MapBasic tool will create a MapInfo table of ‘pie shaped’ sectors for a given cell
site database. The table can be used to label sector symbols with unique information
(i.e. sector name, sector type or sector stats). Thematic layers can also be applied to
the table for graphical analysis.
1.2 Required Table Format
The input table must contain at least the following information for each sector.
• Latitude (degree-decimal)
• Longitude (degree-decimal)
• Azimuth
The table can also contain additional sector information as needed.
• Sector name
• Beam width
• Cell size
• Carrier or Freq
• PN’s or SCs
• Neighbor lists
• Statistical data
2 Starting MapBasic Program
2.1 From MS explorer
• Double click ‘make_sectors.mbx’ from within an explorer window.
The tool will be opened into the most recently opened MapInfo session. If
MapInfo is not open, the tool will open a new MapInfo session.

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2.2 From MapInfo
• Select File>Run MapBasic Program.
• Choose directory and file ‘make_sectors.mbx’.
• Click Open button.
The tool will be opened in the current MapInfo session.
3 Make_Sector Tool
The cell site table should be open before starting the sector creation process.
Importing an excel file is described in Appendix B.
3.1 Tool Button
Figure 1: tool button
A floating tool button will be added to MapInfo (figure1). Clicking the tool button will
start the process described below in section 3.2.1.
3.2 Menu Bar
Figure 2: menu bar
A new menu ‘Make Sectors’ will be added to the end of the current menu bar (figure
2).

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3.2.1 Create Sectors
Selecting Make Sectors>Create Sectors will open the tools set-up window (figure 3).
The window allows the user to specify the columns or fixed values the tool will use to
create each sector symbol. If no tables are open the user will be prompted to open a
table first. Importing an excel file is described in Appendix B.
Figure 3: make sector set-up window
From Table
Select, from a list of open tables, which table contains the sector information. The
new sector table will be saved to the selected table unless the ‘Save As New File’
option is checked.

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Latitude
Select the column that contains the latitude information in degree-decimal format.
Longitude
Select the column that contains the longitude information in degree-decimal format.
Azimuth
Select the column that contains the azimuth information.
Beam Width
Use default box checked - Enter value to use for the beam width of all sectors.
Use default box not checked - Select the column that contains the sector beam width
information.
Sector Size
Use default box checked - Enter value to use for the sector size of all sectors (miles).
Use default box not checked - Select the column that contains the sector size
information (miles).
Select Sector Color
Click symbol to change fill pattern and color for all sectors.
Cancel
Click to exit set-up window without creating table.
Open New File
Click to open a new file into MapInfo and add to the available table selection. The
new file can be an existing table, excel, text or dbf file. The file must be in the same
format as described in section 1.2. Importing an excel file is described in Appendix B.
Make Sectors
Click to create sector table.
3.2.2 Tool Info
Selecting Make Sectors>Tool Info will display a window containing information about
the tool’s creator.

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3.2.3 Exit
Selecting Make Sectors>Exit will terminate the MapBasic tool. All menus and tool
bars will be removed.
4 Additional Comments
• To update sector lat/long or azimuth information the user must update the
table and run ‘make_sectors’ again to update map.
• To update other sector information the user can change the sector information
and reload the table.
• To add or delete sectors, the user must delete and recreate the MapInfo table
file (.tab) then run the ‘make_sectors’ again.

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Appendix A
Below is a sample table format. Information in the red highlighted columns must be
included all others are optional. Additional columns and information can be included
as necessary. Columns can be in any order and with any title.
ID Site_ID SECT Long Lat Azimuth BW Ant type Elec Tilt Mech Tilt Structure PN
1 WAT-001 1 -85.5311886 35.1634344 50 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Rooftop 4
1 WAT-001 2 -85.5311886 35.1634344 170 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Rooftop 8
1 WAT-001 3 -85.5311886 35.1634344 315 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Rooftop 12
2 WAT-002 1 -85.5151486 35.1680292 0 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 16
2 WAT-002 2 -85.5151486 35.1680292 120 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 20
2 WAT-002 3 -85.5151486 35.1680292 240 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 24
4 WAT-004 1 -85.5048563 35.1101571 90 65 Sa65130.plt 2 0 Monopole 40
4 WAT-004 2 -85.5048563 35.1101571 210 65 Sa65130.plt 2 0 Monopole 44
4 WAT-004 3 -85.5048563 35.1101571 330 65 Sa65130.plt 2 0 Monopole 48
5 WAT-005 1 -85.3641721 35.1266426 15 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 52
5 WAT-005 2 -85.3641721 35.1266426 135 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 56
5 WAT-005 3 -85.3641721 35.1266426 255 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 60
6 WAT-006 1 -85.4839597 35.2061799 0 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 64
6 WAT-006 2 -85.4839597 35.2061799 120 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 68
6 WAT-006 3 -85.4839597 35.2061799 240 65 Sa65132.plt 2 0 Monopole 72
Example 1: sample table

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Appendix B
The following steps through the procedure to import an Excel file into MapInfo.
1. Select File>Open Table.
2. Change ‘File of Type’ to Microsoft Excel (*.xls).
3. Find saved excel file and click Open button.
4. Import table information window opens.
Figure 5: table information window
• Select ‘Other’ from Name Range.
o Change A1 to A2.
• Check ‘Use Row Above Selected Range for Column Titles”
• Click OK button.
5. File is imported. Run ‘make_sectors.mbx’.