GSM, CDMA and WiMAX Channel Models

This example shows how to simulate multipath fading channels defined for GSM/EDGE [ 1 2 ], CDMA
[ 3 ], and WiMAX [ 4 ] wireless standards. The example uses the Rayleigh and MIMO fading channel
System objects™ from Communications Toolbox™ to simulate and visualize the channels.

GSM Channel Model

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is the global standard for 2G mobile communications.
The multipath fading channel for GSM was defined in [ 1 2 ] for different communication scenarios
including rural area (RAx), hilly terrain (HTx), urban area (TUx). Each scenario was assigned a specific
power delay profile (PDP) and Doppler spectrum. In this example, we simulate the hilly terrain scenario
(HTx) with 12 taps. We pass GMSK modulated signals through the fading channel and observe its
impulse response.

% Set random number generator for repeatability

rng('default');

Create a GMSK modulator using the comm.GMSKModulator object and use it to modulate randomly
generated bits. This object is to illustrate that the GMSK modulation is used in the GSM system.

gmskMod = comm.GMSKModulator( ...

'BitInput', true, ...

'SamplesPerSymbol', 8);

% Modulate random bits using the GMSK object

x = gmskMod(randi([0 1], 1e4, 1));

Assume mobile speed at 120 km/h. Calculate the Doppler shift at the carrier frequency of 1.8 GHz.

v = 120*1e3/3600; % Mobile speed (m/s)

fc = 1.8e9; % Carrier frequency

fd = v*fc/physconst('lightspeed'); % Maximum Doppler shift

To simulate the fading channel for HTx, we can configure a comm.RayleighChannel object following the
PDP specification in [ 1 2 ]. Alternatively, we can use the stdchan function to create the desired
comm.RayleighChannel object, given the scenario input 'gsmHTx12c1'. So we do not have to refer to [ 1
2] for PDP and Doppler spectrum specifications.

Rsym = 270.833e3; % GSM symbol rate

Rsamp = gmskMod.SamplesPerSymbol * Rsym; % GSM sample rate

gsmChan = stdchan('gsmHTx12c1', Rsamp, fd);

We turn on the impulse response visualization for the channel object and send the GMSK modulated
data through it. You can observe that the path (tap) delays last over 5 samples. The first 7 and last 5 taps
can be grouped into two different clusters. In that sense, the channel characterizes two dominant paths
from the transmitter to the receiver with scattering. You can also observe that the impulse response
changes reasonably fast at this mobile speed of 120 km/h.

gsmChan.Visualization = 'Impulse response';

gsmChan(x);