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Batch Processing

The Batch Processing tool allows users to analyze multiple sites and links simultaneously by importing a list of coordinates. It is ideal for planning large-scale mesh networks or evaluating many potential "Ideal Spots" at once.

Batch Processing UI

Batch Processing Interface

1. Importing Nodes

You can import nodes via a CSV file. The tool supports a simple format: Name, Latitude, Longitude.

CSV Format Requirements

The first line can be a header or data. The tool uses a heuristic to identify columns:

  • Format A: Site Name, Latitude, Longitude
  • Format B: Latitude, Longitude, Site Name

Tip

Use the "Download Template" link in the sidebar to get a perfectly formatted CSV file.

Per-Node Hardware Overrides

When your CSV has a header row, you can add optional columns to give individual nodes their own hardware instead of applying the global A/B configuration to every site. Any column you leave out — or leave blank on a given row — falls back to the global config, so existing three-column files keep working unchanged.

Column Aliases Meaning
Antenna_Height Height, AGL Antenna height above ground, in meters
Antenna_Gain Gain Antenna gain in dBi
TX_Power Power Transmit power in dBm
Device — Device preset, e.g. HELTEC_V3, RAK_4631, Station G2
Antenna Antenna_Type Antenna preset, e.g. YAGI, OMNI_HIGH, Standard Dipole

Preset names are matched loosely — HELTEC_V3, heltec-v3 and Heltec V3 all resolve to the same device. Selecting an Antenna preset supplies its nominal gain automatically; an explicit Antenna_Gain on the same row wins.

Name,Lat,Lon,Antenna_Height,Antenna_Gain,TX_Power,Device,Antenna
Site Alpha,45.5152,-122.6784,30,8,22,HELTEC_V3,OMNI_HIGH
Site Bravo,45.5252,-122.6684,12,,,,DIPOLE
Site Delta,45.5100,-122.6500,,,,,

Above, Alpha is fully specified, Bravo overrides only its height and antenna (taking 3.0 dBi from the dipole preset), and Delta inherits everything from the global config. The sidebar shows how many loaded nodes carry an override.

2. Integration with Link Analyzer

The Batch Nodes panel provides a seamless transition into detailed point-to-point analysis:

  • TX Button: Sets the selected node as the "Source" (Station A) in the Link Analyzer.
  • RX Button: Sets the selected node as the "Target" (Station B) in the Link Analyzer.

By using these buttons, you can quickly verify a link's profile and Fresnel clearance for any node in your batch list without manual map placement.

Important

Selecting a different tool from the toolbar (e.g., switching from Link Analysis to Viewshed) will clear the current analysis markers and results from the map. However, your Batch Nodes will remain visible until you click "Clear All Nodes".

3. Choosing a Propagation Model

Once more than one node is loaded, a Propagation Model selector appears above the export button:

  • Bullington (Fast) — Free-space path loss plus knife-edge diffraction, computed over a 20-point terrain profile per link. This is the default and is well suited to sweeping a large candidate list quickly.
  • Longley-Rice ITM (Accurate, Slower) — The same WASM ITM engine the Link Analysis tool uses, run over a denser 100-point profile and using your Ground Type, Climate Zone and Reliability settings. Batch numbers then agree with what you see when you open the same link in the Link Analyzer.

Tip

The Reliability setting in the Environment sidebar applies here too. Running a mesh report at Reliable (90%) tells you which links survive poor conditions, not just which ones work on a median day. The Model column records the mode used for each row (e.g. ITM 90/90/90), so reports run at different confidence levels stay distinguishable after export.

The ITM engine is loaded on demand the first time you select it; the export button stays disabled for the moment it takes to initialize. If ITM fails on an individual link, that link falls back to Bullington rather than failing the whole report — the Model column records which model actually produced each row.

4. Exporting Mesh Reports

The most powerful feature of Batch Processing is the "Export Mesh Report" button.

What it does:

  1. It iterates through every possible pair of nodes in your imported list.
  2. It performs a terrain profile analysis for every link (Source to Target).
  3. It calculates the Link Budget from each node's own configuration, falling back to your global Hardware Settings where no override is given.
  4. It generates a CSV report containing:
    • Distance: In kilometers.
    • Status: GOOD, MARGINAL, or OBSTRUCTED.
    • Quality: Fresnel-based link quality rating.
    • Clearance: Minimum Fresnel zone clearance in meters.
    • Margin: Signal margin in dB.
    • Model: Which propagation model produced the row (ITM or Bullington).
    • PathLoss_dB: Total path loss used for the budget.
    • Per-node params: TX/RX antenna height, TX/RX gain, and TX power, so the report is self-documenting when nodes differ.

A progress bar tracks completion while the report runs.

Warning

Processing many links (e.g., 20+ nodes result in 190+ links) can take several minutes as the tool fetches terrain data for each path. The ITM model is noticeably slower than Bullington, since it fetches a 5x denser terrain profile per link.

Workflow Example

  1. Import a list of existing nodes and potential new sites.
  2. Visualize the nodes on the map to see geographic distribution.
  3. Select a potential site as RX and an existing node as TX to check a specific link.
  4. Export the full report to identify which new sites have the best connectivity to the existing mesh.