Introduction

Wireless channel modeling

RF link budget analysis

Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 1

 Introduction
Multipath wireless propagation
Wireless channel modeling
Path loss, shadowing and fading
RF link budget analysis

Multipath wireless propagation

reflection and diffraction

Extracted from Digital Communication lecture notes, McGill Uni.

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 2

 Introduction
Multipath wireless propagation
Wireless channel modeling
Path loss, shadowing and fading
RF link budget analysis

Path loss, shadowing and fading

The characteristic of (mobile) wireless channel is the variations of
the channel strength over time and frequency.
The variations can be divided into two types:
Large-scale fading is yielded by:
path loss of signal as a function of distance and
shadowing by large objects such as buildings and hills.
Small-scale fading is yielded by the constructive and
destructive interference of the multiple signal paths between
transmitter and receiver.
Question: Why do both constructive and destructive
intereference happen?

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 3

 Introduction
Multipath wireless propagation
Wireless channel modeling
Path loss, shadowing and fading
RF link budget analysis

Path loss, shadowing and fading

For Small-scale fading :
Question: Why do both constructive and destructive intereference
happen?
! Di↵erent multipath components arrive at the receiver with
di↵erent time delays and phase shifts.
! When the phase shifts are aligned, the multipath components add
constructively; when they are not aligned, they add destructively.
! This constructive and destructive addition of multipath
components leads to significant variations in the received signal
power.
The received power variations due to constructive and destructive
addition of multipath components occur over very short distances,
on the order of the signal wavelength, since each component’s phase
rotates 360 degrees over that distance.
! Power variations due to multipath are sometimes referred to as
small-scale propagation e↵ects.

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 4

 Introduction
Multipath wireless propagation
Wireless channel modeling
Path loss, shadowing and fading
RF link budget analysis

Path loss, shadowing and fading

For Large-scale fading :
path loss: Received power variation due to path loss occurs
over long distances (100-1000 m)
shadowing: Variation due to shadowing occurs over distances
that are proportional to the length of the obstructing object
(10-100 m in outdoor environments and less in indoor
environments)
! Since variations in received power due to path loss and shadowing
occur over relatively large distances, these variations are referred to
as large-scale propagation e↵ects.

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 5

 Introduction
Multipath wireless propagation
Wireless channel modeling
Path loss, shadowing and fading
RF link budget analysis

An example of path loss, shadowing and fading

-50

-60

-70

-80
Received Power [dBm]

-90

-100
Pathloss

-110 Shadowing +
Pathloss
-130
Fading +
-140 Shadowing +
Pathloss

-150
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Traveled distance [m]

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 6

 Introduction
Multipath wireless propagation
Wireless channel modeling
Path loss, shadowing and fading
RF link budget analysis

An example of path loss, shadowing and fading (cont.)

Path Loss Alone
Shadowing and Path Loss
K (dB)
Multipath, Shadowing, and Path Loss

Pr
(dB)
Pt

0 log (d)
Figure 1: E↵ects of path loss, shadowing, and multipath on received power as a
function of distance.

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 7

 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Path loss models

It is well known that the received signal power decays with the
square of the path length in free space.
More specifically, the received envelope power is introduced by Friis:

2
Pr = Pt G t G r 4⇡d
c
, (1)

where:
Pt is the transmitted power,
Gt and Gr are the transmitter and receiver antenna gains,
respectively
d is the radio path length.

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 8

 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Path loss models (cont.)

The signals in land mobile radio applications, however, do not
experience free space propagation. A more appropriate theoretical
model assumes propagation over a flat reflecting surface (the earth).
✓ ◆2 ✓ ◆
c 2⇡hb hm
Pr = 4Pt Gt Gr sin2 , (3)
4⇡d cd

where hb and hm are the heights of the BS and MS antennas,

respectively.
Under the condition that d hb hm , (3) reduces to
✓ ◆2
c
Pr = Pt G t G r , (4)
4⇡d

where we have used the approximation sin x ⇡ x for small x.

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 11

 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Path loss models (cont.)

The path loss is defined by
✓ ◆
Pt G t G r
Lp (dB) = 10 log10
Pr
( ✓ ◆2 ✓ ◆)
c 2⇡hb hm
= 10 log10 4 sin2 (5)
4⇡d cd

Several useful empirical models for macrocellular systems have been

obtained by curve fitting experimental data.
Two of the useful models for 900 MHz cellular systems are:
Hata’s model based on Okumura’s prediction method and
Lee’s model.
Hata’s empirical model is probably the simplest to use. The
empirical data for this model was collected by Okumura in the city
of Tokyo.

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 12

 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Okumura-Hata models
With Okumura-Hata’s model, the path loss between two isotropic
BS and MS antennas is
8
>
<A + B log10 (d) for urban area
Lp (dB) = A + B log10 (d) C for suburban area (6)
>
:
A + B log10 (d) D for open area

where

A = 69.55 + 26.16 log10 (fc ) 13.82 log10 (hb ) a(hm )

B = 49.9 6.55 log10 (hb )
2
C = 5.4 + 2 (log10 (fc /28))
2
D = 40.94 + 4.78 (log10 (fc )) 18.33 log10 (fc )

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 13

 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Okumura-Hata models (cont.)

and
8
>
<[1.1
( log10 (fc ) 0.7] hm 1.56 log10 (fc ) + 0.8 for medium or small city
ahm = 8.28 [log10 (1.54hm )]2 1.1 for fc  200MHz
>
: for large city
3.2 [log10 (11.75hm )]2 4.97 for fc 400MHz
(7)

Okumura-Hata’s model is expressed in terms of:

the carrier frequency: 150  fc  1000(MHz),
BS antenna height: 30  hb  200(m),
the mobile station (MS) height: 1  hm  10(m),
the distance: 1  d  20(km).

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 14

 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Numerical results of Okumura-Hata models: Lab assignment

400

urban area
350
suburban area
open area

300
Path loss (dB)

250

200

150

100
50 100 150 200
Base station height h b

Figure 2: Path loss as a function of BS height for hm = 1.5m, d = 1(km),

fc = 900MHz.
Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 16
 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Numerical results of Okumura-Hata models

450

400 urban area

suburban area
350 open area
Path loss (dB)

300

250

200

150

100
1 5 10 15 20
Distance d (km) under scale of log10

Figure 3: Path loss as a function of distance between BS and MS for

hm = 1.5m, hb = 50m, fc = 900MHz.
Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 17
 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Shadowing
A signal transmitted through a wireless channel will typically
experience random variation due to blockage from objects in the
signal path, giving rise to random variations of the received power at
a given distance.
Such variations are also caused by changes in reflecting surfaces and
scattering objects.
Thus, a model for the random attenuation due to these e↵ects is
also needed. Since the location, size, and dielectric properties of the
blocking objects as well as the changes in reflecting surfaces and
scattering objects that cause the random attenuation are generally
unknown, statistical models must be used to characterize this
attenuation.
The most common model for this additional attenuation is
log-normal shadowing.

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 18

 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Shadowing (cont.)
Empirical studies have shown that Xm has the following log-normal
distribution:
( )
2
2 10 log10 x µXm (dBm)
pXm (x) = p exp 2
x X ⇠ 2⇡ 2 X
( )
2 10 log10 x µXs (dBm)
pXs (x) = p exp 2
x X ⇠ 2⇡ 2 X

where:
Xm and Xs denote the mean envelop and mean squared levels
of received signal (where the expectation is taken over the pdf
of the received envelope).
X stands for standard deviation.
2
µXm (dBm) = 30 + 10E[log10 Xm ]
µXs (dBm) = 30 + 10E[log10 Xs ]

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 19

 Introduction Path loss models
Wireless channel modeling Shadowing
RF link budget analysis Fading channel model

Shadowing (cont.)
Sometimes Xm is called the local mean because it represents the
mean envelope level where the averaging is performed over a
distance of a few wavelengths that represents a locality.
This model has been confirmed empirically to accurately model the
variation in received power in both outdoor and indoor radio
propagation environments

Wireless Communications Chapter 2: Wireless Channel models 20