Radio propagation fundamentals

MODULE 2

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Module 2 Radio propagation fundamentals

Objectives
After this module the participant shall be able to: Understand basic radio propagation mechanisms
Understand fading phenomena
Calculate free space loss

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Module Contents
Propagation mechanisms
Multipath And Fading
Propagation Slope And Different Environments

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Module Contents
Propagation mechanisms
Basics: deciBel (dB)
Radio channel
Reflections
Diffractions
Scattering

Multipath And Fading

Propagation Slope And Different Environments

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

deciBel (dB) Definition

Power

Voltages

P
dB 10 log
P0

[ Plin. ] 10

E
dB 20 log

E0

Plin.= Elin.

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

P ( dB )

[ Elin. ] 10

/2

10

E ( dB )

20

deciBel (dB) Conversion

Calculations in dB (deciBel)
Logarithmic scale

Always with respect to a reference

dBW
dBm

dB above Watt

dB above mWatt

dBi
dBd

dB above isotropic

dB above dipole

dBV/m =

dB above V/m

Rule-of-thumb:

+3dB =
+7 dB =
+10 dB

factor 2

factor 1/2

-7 dB =
-10 dB =

factor 1/5

-3dB

Nokia Siemens Networks

factor 5
=

factor 10

factor 1/10

Presentation / Author / Date

-30 dBm = 1 W
-20 dBm = 10 W
-10 dBm = 100 W
-7 dBm = 200 W
-3 dBm = 500 W

0 dBm = 1 mW
+3 dBm = 2 mW
+7 dBm = 5 mW
+10 dBm = 10 mW
+13 dBm = 20 mW
+20 dBm = 100mW
+30 dBm = 1 W
+40 dBm = 10W
+50 dBm = 100W

Radio Channel Main Characteristics

Linear
In field strength

Reciprocal
UL & DL channel same (if in same frequency)

Dispersive
In time (echo, multipath propagation)
In spectrum (wideband channel)
direct path
amplitude

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

echoes

delay time

Propagation Mechanisms (1/2)

Free-space propagation
Signal strength decreases exponentially
with distance

Reflection
Specular reflection
amplitude A

-f

phase f

polarisation

a*A (a < 1)

material dependant

phase shift

specular reflection

Diffuse reflection
amplitude A
phase f

polarisation

Nokia Siemens Networks

a *A (a < 1)

random phase
random

Presentation / Author / Date

diffuse reflection

Propagation Mechanisms (2/2)

Absorption
Heavy amplitude attenuation
Material dependant phase shifts
Depolarisation

Diffraction
Wedge - model
Knife edge
Multiple knife edges

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

A - 5..30 dB

Scattering Macrocell
Scattering local to mobile
Causes fading
Small delay and angle spreads

Scattering to base station

Doppler spread causes time varying

effects

Scattering local to base station

No additional Doppler spread
Small delay spread
Large angle spread

Remote scattering

Scattering to mobile

Independent path fading

No additional Doppler spread
Large delay spread
Large angle spread

10

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Remote scattering

Scattering Microcell
Many local scatterers: Large angle spread
Low delay spread
Medium or high Doppler spread

11

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Module Contents
Reflections, Diffractions And Scattering
Multipath and Fading
Delay Time dispersion
Angle Angular Spread
Frequency Doppler Spread
Fading Slow & Fast

Propagation Slope And Different Environments

12

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Multipath propagation
Radio signal propagates from A to B over multiple paths using different
propagation mechanisms
Multipath Propagation
Received signal is a sum of multipath signals

Different radio paths have different properties

Distance Delay/Time
Direction Angle
Direction & Receiver/Transmitter Movement Frequency

13

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Delay Time dispersion

Multipath delays due to multipath propagation
1 s 300 m path difference

WCDMA Rake receiver to combine multipath components

Components with delay separation more than 1 chip (0.26 s = 78 m) can
be separated and combined
Standardized delay profiles in 3GPP specs:
TU3

14

typical urban at 3 km/h (pedestrians)

TU50

typical urban at 50 km/h (cars)

HT100

hilly terrain (road vehicles, 100 km/h)

RA250

rural area (highways, up to 250 km/h)

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Delay Spread
Multipath
propagation

1.

P
=>

Channel impulse
response
1.
2.

2.

3. 4.
t

f1

4th floor

f1

3rd floor

f1

2nd floor DAS

(Distributed antenna
1st floor

f1
BTS

15

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Delayed components in
systems)

Delay Spread
Typical values

16

Nokia Siemens Networks

Environment

Delay Spread (s)

Macrocellular, urban

0.5-3

Macrocellular, suburban

0.5

Macrocellular, rural

0.1-0.2

Macrocellular, HT

3-10

Microcellular

< 0.1

Indoor

0.01...0.1

Presentation / Author / Date

Angle Angular Spread

Angular spread arises due to multipath, both from local scatterers near
the mobile and near the base station and remote scatterers
Angular spread is a function of base station location, distance and
environment
Angular Spread has an effect mainly on the performance of diversity
reception and adaptive antennas

17

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Angular Spread
Macrocell Antenna

Macrocellular Environment
= Macrocell Coverage Area

Microcell Antenna
Microcellular Environment
= Microcell Coverage Area

5 - 10 degrees in macrocellular environment

>> 10 degrees in microcellular environment
< 360 degrees in indoor environment

18

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Frequency Doppler Spread

With a moving transmitter or receiver, the frequency observed by the
receiver will change (Doppler effect)
Rise if the distance on the radio path is decreasing
Fall if the distance in the radio path is increasing

The difference between the highest and the lowest frequency shift is
called Doppler spread

v
v
fd
c
v:
c:
f:
19

Speed of receiver (m/s)

Speed of light (3*10^8 m/s)
Frequency (Hz)

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Fading
Fading describes the variation of the total pathloss ( signal level)
when receiver/transmitter moves in the cell coverage area
Fading is commonly categorised to two categories based on the
phenomena causing it
Slow fading: Caused by shadowing because of obstacles
Fast fading: Caused by multipath propagation

Time-selective fading: Short delay + Doppler

Frequency-selective fading: Long delay
Space-selective fading: Large angle

20

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Fading Slow & Fast

power

Rayleigh
fading

+20 dB

lognormal
fading

mean
value

- 20 dB

2 sec

21

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

4 sec

6 sec

time

Slow Fading Gaussian Distribution

Measurement campaigns have shown that slow fading follows Gaussian
distribution
Received signal strength in dB scale (e.g. dBm, dBW)

Gaussian distribution is described by mean value m, standard deviation

68% of values are within m

95% of values are within m 2

Gaussian distribution used in planning margin calculations

22

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

122

Slow Fading Gaussian Distribution

Normal / Gaussian Distribution
Standard Deviation, =7 dB
0.07000

0.06000

Normal / Gaussian Distribution

0.05000

0.04000

0.03000

0.02000

0.01000

0.00000
-25
23

Nokia Siemens Networks

-20

-15

-10

Presentation / Author / Date

-5

10

15

20

25

Fast Fading
Different signal paths interfere and affect the received signal
Rice Fading the dominant (usually LOS) path exist

Rayleigh Fading no dominant path exist

24

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Fast Fading Rayleigh Distribution

It can be theretically shown that fast fading follows Rayleigh
Distribution when there is no single dominant multipath component
Applicable to fast fading in obstructed paths
Valid for signal level in linear scale (e.g. mW, W)

level (dB)
+10
0
-10
-20
-30

920 MHz
v = 20 km/h
25

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

5m

Fast Fading Rician Distribution

Fast fading follows Rician distribution when there is a dominant
multipath component, for example line-of-sight component combined
with in-direct components
Sliding transition between Gaussian and Rayleigh
Rice-factor K = r/A: direct / indirect signal energy
K=0
Rayleigh
K >>1
Gaussian
K=0
(Rayleigh)
K=1
K=5

26

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Module Contents
Reflections, Diffractions And Scattering
Multipath And Fading
Propagation Slope And Different Environments
Free Space Loss
Received power with antenna gain
Propagation slope

27

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Free Space Loss

Free space loss proportional to 1/d2
Simplified case: isotropic antenna
Which part of total radiated power is found within surface A?
Power density S = P/A = P / 4 d2

Received power within surface A : P = P/A * A

Received power reduces with square of distance

Surface A = 4 * d2
d
assume surface
A= 1m2

A
d

A = 4*A

2d
4d

28

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

A = 16*A

Received power with antenna gain

Power density at the receiving end S

Ps
Gs
2
4 d

GR
4
2

Effective receiver antenna area

Aeff

Received power

Pr Aeff S

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Pr

G s Gr

Ps
4 d

Pr
Ar
Gr

Ps
As
Gs

29

Propagation slope
The received power equation can be formulated as

Pr Ps Gs Gr C d
Where
C is a constant
is the slope factor

C
4

Free space = 2
Practical propagation = 2.5 ... 5

30

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date

Module 2 Radio Propagation Fundamentals

Summary
Radio signal propagates with multiple propagation
mechanisms
Radio signal strength varies between locations
Fading
Fading is caused by shadowing and multipath
propagation
Received radio signal power attenuates with
increasing distance Propagation slope

31

Nokia Siemens Networks

Presentation / Author / Date