How many sites are involved in a one-hop microwave link?

A one-hop microwave link, also known as a point-to-point link, is the most fundamental configuration in microwave transmission. It establishes a direct, line-of-sight communication path between a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal. Each terminal is located at a distinct physical location, referred to as a site. Therefore, a single hop inherently requires two sites to form the complete communication segment. One site originates the signal, and the second site receives it.

A. A single site cannot form a communication link, as a link requires both a starting point (transmitter) and an endpoint (receiver) at different locations.
C. Three or more sites are involved in a multi-hop link. For instance, a two-hop link requires an originating site, an intermediate repeater site, and a destination site, totaling three sites.

1. Source: Huawei Technologies Co.

Ltd. OptiX RTN 950 Radio Transmission System Product Description.

Reference Details: In the chapter on "Network Applications

" the section describing "Point-to-Point Networking" consistently illustrates this fundamental topology as a direct link between two distinct sites (e.g.

Site A and Site B)

each equipped with an RTN 950 unit. This configuration represents a single microwave hop.

2. Source: Freeman

R. L. (2007). Radio System Design for Telecommunications. John Wiley & Sons.

Reference Details: Chapter 2

"Point-to-Point Microwave

" Section 2.1

"Introduction

" defines a basic microwave link as consisting of a radio transmitter at one fixed point and a radio receiver at another fixed point. This establishes that two points

or sites

are the minimum requirement for a one-hop link.

3. Source: University of Colorado Boulder

Department of Electrical

Computer & Energy Engineering. Courseware for ECEN 5632

"Microwave and RF Link Design."

Reference Details: Lecture notes on "Link Budget Analysis" describe a terrestrial microwave link as a connection between a transmitting antenna on one tower (site 1) and a receiving antenna on another tower (site 2)

which constitutes a single hop.