1

2
3
Street Canyons really do exist – the typical suburban street does not look much like a
canyon – but that is because we are viewing it optically. The longer wavelengths of

4
mobile systems are more likely to “see” buildings as flat screens as drawn here. At
VHF streets are only a few wavelengths across and we need to use a different model
taking more account of diffraction.

EMPIRICAL MODELS

These really are only rough guidelines - also note here we are talking about field
strength, for power you need to take the square.

5
This simple model is not usually very good (except of course in free space where it is
exact) – but you can do the maths in your head and it gives an indicative result.
Lref will be a function of frequency. The best known example of this equation is

Free Space Loss = 32.45 + 20log(d) + 20log(f) dB where d is in metres and f in MHz.

Why it is 4 we will explain later. Clutter loss does not depend on the range of the
path but it does depend on how far the signal passes through the clutter.

6
The advantage of this model is that it is very quick to code up and run. The slopes and
breakpoint are often parameterised, or made available in the form of tables for each
environment and frequency band.

Unfortunately, there is no consistency over environmental categories between

models. A large town or city is taken to imply the mean building height is above 15m

7
 PHYSICAL MODELS

Note how the slope of the path loss curve becomes proportional to 40log(d) beyond
about 20m. Also note that there is a lot of variability with range, this is experienced
in practice as multipath fast fading. This is something that has to be accounted for in
the design of the mobile system.

8
The plot is the same as in the previous slide except we now have 4 components
contributing to the signal. Beyond 20m the signal variability is much reduced
compared with the 2 ray case.

9
This odd looking function takes account of the reduction in the diffraction angle if the
street is not perpendicular to the incoming ray combined with the loss of a reflection

10
off the rear wall. This is why the function increases the loss above 30 0. The -10 dB
region is a gain caused by the ray coming along parallel to the street with very much
lower low diffraction angle.

comparisons with measurements show good agreement when the base is above the
roof height, a mean error of +- 3dB and a standard deviation of 4-8 dB. This model
does not work very well for cases where the base is below the height of the roof –
especially hb << hroof.

comparisons with measurements show good agreement when the base is above the The model is based on work by Walfisch and Bertoni and gives good results once l
roof height, a mean error of +- 3dB and a standard deviation of 4-8 dB. This model (length covered by the buildings) is beyond the settled field distance ds.
does not work very well for cases where the base is below the height of the roof –
especially hb << hroof. If l < ds, grazing incidence occurs and the model is poor.

The model is based on work by Walfisch and Bertoni and gives good results once l
(length covered by the buildings) is beyond the settled field distance ds.

If l < ds, grazing incidence occurs and the model is poor.

11
Shadowing loss measurements - either measure then build building and re-measure or
stand behind existing building measure signal, demolish the building and re-measure.
Not very practical and very expensive.
In practice, the measurement involves finding two paths with and without a building
that are essentially the same. This is not as easy as it might appear, especially at low
frequencies.
12