Department of Electrical Engineering

University of Arkansas

ELEG 5693 Wireless Communications

Propagation and Noise Part I

Dr. Jingxian Wu
[email protected]
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OUTLINE
• Wireless channel
• Path loss
• Shadowing
• Small scale fading
• Channel classifications
• Noise and interference
• Simulation model
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CHANNEL: PROPAGATION ENVIRONMENT

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CHANNEL: PROPAGATION MODES

• Free-space (line-of-sight)
– There is a clear transmission path between transmitter (Tx) and
receiver (Rx).
– E.g. satellite
• Reflection
– The bouncing of electromagnetic waves from surrounding objects
– Size of reflecting objects must be large compared to the
wavelength of signal
– Reflecting surface must be smooth compared to the wavelength of
signal
– E.g. ground, building, walls, windows, lakes
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CHANNEL: PROPAGATION MODES (CONT’D)

• Diffraction
– The bending of electromagnetic waves around objects (such as
buildings), or through objects (such as trees).
– Due to diffraction, signals can propagate
• Around curved surface of Earth
• Beyond LOS horizon
• Behind obstructions
• Scattering
– Electromagnetic waveforms incident upon rough or complex
surfaces are scattered in many directions
• Relfection: smooth surface, one direction
• Refraction (not common in terrestrial wireless
communication).
– Electromagnetic waves bend as they move from one medium to
another.
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CHANNEL

Channel: a collection of propagation effects and

other signal impairments caused by the environments

• Wireless channel: propagation, noise and interference

– Propagation effects: line-of-sight, reflection, diffraction, scattering
• Induced by the transmission of desired signals itself
• Impairments: large scale fading (path loss, shadowing), small
scale fading
• Unique to wireless communication
– Noise and interference: unwanted electrical signals interfering with
desired signal. Present in all
• Thermal noise (movements of electrons) communication
systems
• Automobile ignition, electrical machinery, etc.
• Interferences from other users operating on the same frequency.
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OUTLINE
• Wireless channel
• Path loss
• Shadowing
• Small scale fading
• Channel classifications
• Noise and interference
• Simulation model
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PATH LOSS
• Path loss: the power loss during signal propagation from Tx to Rx
– Only a portion of the power from Tx will be captured by the receiver.

• Path loss is defined as the ratio between the signal power at

transmitter (PT) and signal power at receiver (PR).

PT
Lp 
PR

PT
L p (dB)  10 log10  10 log10 PT  10 log10 PR
PR
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PATHLOSS: MODELS
• Free-space path loss model
– Clear, unobstructed LOS.
– Doesn’t consider surrounding objects.
– Highly simplified model
– E.g. satellite
• Ray-tracing models
– Consider the effects of reflection, diffraction from surrounding
environment
– More complex, depends on site geometry
• General model
– Simple flexible mathematical model
– Captures the essence of path loss under various conditions
– Good for high level analysis
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PATHLOSS: FREE-SPACE
• Isotropic radiation
– Signal strength are equal in all directions
– Isotropic antenna: an antenna transmits equally Tx
in all directions.

• At distance R from Tx antenna, the power per unit area

PT
R  PT : Tx power
4R 2
The surface area of a sphere with radius R

• Power at Rx
PT
PR  Ae
4R 2

Effective area of Rx antenna

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PATHLOSS: FREE-SPACE
• Friis equation: path-loss equation for general antennas

  
2

PR  PT GT GR  
 4R 

R: Distance between Tx and Rx. GT : Transmit antenna gain

  c / f : wavelength. GR : Receive antenna gain

• For system with fixed PT, GT and GR

– R   PR 
– f   PR 
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PATHLOSS: FREE-SPACE
• Example
– In order to operate properly, a receiver must capture the signal power of at
least -90dBm. Assuming a 100-miliwatt transmitter and free-space path loss.
The antenna gain at Tx and Rx are 3dB. What is the service area radius of the
Tx for a signal frequency of 800MHz?

Sol: PT  100mW
PR (mW )
PR (dBm)  10 log10  PR (mW )  10 PR ( dBm) /10  109 (mW )
1(mW )
GT (dB)  GR (dB)  3dB  GT  GR  103 /10  2

   
2
PT GT GR
PR  PT GT GR    R 
 4R  4 PR

c PT GT GR
R  18.9km
4f PR
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PATHLOSS: RAY-TRACING MODELS

• Ray-tracing model
– Besides LOS, also considers the effects of reflection, diffraction
and scattering  considers the effects from each ray
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PATH LOSS: RAY TRACING MODEL

• Example: plane-earth reflection

d :Distance between two paths

Rx signal from LOS: E0 (t )  A0 cos(2ft   )

Rx signal from reflection: Er (t )  A0 cos2f (t  d / c)   
 A0 cos2ft    

  2fd / c  2d /  : phase difference caused by distance difference

 : due to reflection and distance difference

At the receiver: Etotal (t )  E0 (t )  Er (t )

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PATH LOSS: RAY TRACING MODEL

• The phase difference between the two rays will result in
construction or destruction effects of the Rx signal

LOS Reflection

Total
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PATH LOSS: GENERAL MODEL

• A general model capturing the essence of path loss in various
environment
n
1  r0 
PR  PT  
0  r 

r0 : reference distance (typically 1 meter)

 0 : measured path loss at reference distance
n : path loss exponent (can be obtained through measurement)
r : distance between transmitter and receiver
• n: path loss exponent
– r  PR 
– The larger the value of n, the faster the Rx power falls off with the increase of
distance.
– Free space: n = 2; rolling rural: n = 3.5; suburban: 4; dense urban: 4.5
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PATH LOSS: GENERAL MODEL

• Usually represented in the unit of dB
n
PT r r
Lp    0    L p (dB)  10 log10  0  n 10 log10  
PR  r0   r0 

n=4
Fix PT
Lp  PR 

n=2
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PATH LOSS: GENERAL MODEL

• Example:
– At a distance r0  10 meter from Tx, the measured power is PT / 0  2mW .
The path loss exponent is n = 2.9. The appropriate operation of the receiver
requires the signal power at receiver must be at lease -90mW. What is the
service radius? (using the general path loss model)
Sol.

PR (mW )
PR (dBm)  10 log10  PR (mW )  10 PR ( dBm) /10  109 (mW )
1(mW )

( PT /  0 ) 2mW
r  r0 n  102.9 9  16.1km
PR 10 mW
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OUTLINE
• Wireless channel
• Path loss
• Shadowing
• Small scale fading
• Channel classifications
• Noise and interference
• Simulation model
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SHADOWING
• Shadowing:
– Caused by large obstructions that are distant from MS
– Analogy: the shadow of light due to mountain.
– Effects of shadowing is random due to random # and type of obstructions.
– The existence of shadowing is verified through field measurement.
• Consider the effects of path loss and shadowing
n
1  r0 
PR  PT     S
0  r 
shadowing
path loss

S : models the effects of shadowing. Random variable.

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SHADOWING
• dB representation

PT r 
10 log10 PR  10 log10  n 10 log10  0   10 log10 S
0 r

• S (dB)  10 log10 S : follows Gaussian distribution (normal

distribution)
1  ( x  mdB ) 2 
f S ( dB) ( x)  exp   
2  dB  2 dB 
2

S(dB) follows normal distribution the log of S follows normal distribution

 The distribution of S is called lognormal distribution

Shadowing is called lognormal shadowing

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SHADOWING

path loss with shadowing (random)

path loss only

combined effects of path loss and shadowing (red curve)