Large Scale Propagation
Model
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Propagation Model
Propagation models are used for:
Predicting the average signal strength at a given
distance from the transmitter
Estimating the variability of the signal strength in
close spatial proximity to a particular locations
Can be categorized into two types:
1. Large-scale propagation models
2. Small-scale propagation models
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Large Scale Propagation Model:
Predict the mean signal strength for an arbitrary
transmitter-receiver(T-R) separation.
Estimate radio coverage of a transmitter
Characterize signal strength over large T-R separation
distances (several 100’s to 1000’s meters)
Small Scale Propagation Model:
Characterize rapid fluctuations of received signal
strength over
Very short travel distances ( a few wavelengths)
Short time durations (on the order of seconds) 3 3
Multipath Propagation Mechanism
There are three basic propagation
mechanisms in addition to line-of-sight
paths:
1. Reflection
2. Diffraction
3. Scattering
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Reflection - occurs when signal encounters a
surface that has large dimension relative to the
wavelength of the signal.
Diffraction – occurs at the edge of an impenetrable
body that is large compared to the wavelength of
the radio wave. When a radio wave encounters such
an edge, waves propagate in different directions
with the edge as the source.
Scattering – occurs when incoming signal hits an
object whose size in the order of the wavelength of
the signal or less. 5 5
Multipath Propagation
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2-Ray Ground Reflection Model
Reasonably accurate for predicting
the large-scale signal strength over long distances (» km)
for mobile systems that use tall towers (heights > 50 m)
line-of-sight microcell channels in urban environments
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The method of images is used to find the path
difference between the line-of-sight and the ground
reflected paths.
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Phasor diagram showing the electric field components
of the line-of-sight, ground reflected, and total
received E-fields, derived from equation
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Example 3.6:
A mobile is located 5 km away from a base station and uses
a vertical λ/4 monopole antenna with a gain of 2.55 dB to
receive cellular radio signals. The E-field at 1 km from the
transmitter is measured to be 10-3 V/m. The carrier
frequency used for this system is 900 MHz.
(a) Find the length and the gain of the receiving antenna.
(b) Find the electric field and received power at the mobile
using the 2-ray ground reflection model assuming the
height of the transmitting antenna is 50 m and the receiving
antenna is 1.5 m above ground.
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Diffraction
Diffraction allows radio signals to propagate
around the curved surface of the earth and to
propagate behind obstructions.
Based on Huygen’s principle, which says that all
points on a wave front can be considered as point
sources for the production of secondary wavelets.
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Knife Edge Diffraction Model
Estimating the signal attenuation caused by diffraction of radio
waves over hills and buildings.
Consider a receiver at point R, located in the shadowed region
(also called the diffraction zone). The field strength at point R
is a vector sum of the fields due to all of the secondary
Huygen's sources in the plane above the knife edge.
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Knife Edge Diffraction Geometry (ht /= hr)
If and are small and h<<d1 and d2,
then h & h’ are virtually identical.
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Knife Edge Diffraction Geometry (ht = hr)
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Diffraction Loss For Various Value of V
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Fresnel zones
Fresnel zones represent successive regions where secondary
waves have a path length from the TX to the RX which are
nλ/2 greater in path length than of the LOS path.
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Three Cases:
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Example 3.7
Compute the diffraction loss for the three cases.
Assume λ=1/3m, d1 =1 km, d2 =1 km and (a)h =25m,
(b)h =0, (c)h =-25m. For each of these cases, identify
the Fresnel zone within which the tip of the obstruction
lies.
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Example 3.8
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