WC_Chapter-3_Notes
WC_Chapter-3_Notes
Reflection occurs when the signal encounters a large solid surface, whose size is much larger
than the wavelength of the signal, e.g., a solid wall.
Diffraction occurs when the signal encounters an edge or a corner, whose size is larger than
the wavelength of the signal, e.g., an edge of a wall.
Scattering occurs when the signal encounters small objects of size smaller than the wavelength
of the signal.
One consequence of multipath propagation is that multiple copies of a signal propagation along
multiple different paths, arrive at any point at different times. So the signal received at a point
is not only affected by the inherent noise, distortion, attenuation, and dispersion in the channel
but also the interaction of signals propagated along multiple paths.
1. Ground wave propagation requires a lower-power transmitter than other methods of radio
wave propagation.
2. It is used for medium-range communication such as 100km to 1000km.
3. mostly the frequency used for the ground wave propagation lies between 3khz to 3Mhz.
Line-of-sight propagation:
This mode of propagation is used for short-range communication, typically within a few miles.
The radio waves travel in a straight line from the transmitter to the receiver and require an
unobstructed line of sight between the two. The advantage of line-of-sight propagation is its
ability to provide a strong, reliable signal over short distances. However, the disadvantage is
that obstacles such as buildings, trees, or hills can block the signal, limiting its range.
Where:
L is the Free Space Path Loss (FSPL) in decibels (dB).
d is the distance between the transmitter and receiver in meters (m).
λ (lambda) represents the wavelength of the signal in meters (m).
To use this equation, you need to know the distance between the transmitter and receiver and
the wavelength of the radio signal. The Free Space Propagation Loss equation is fundamental
in wireless communication system design as it helps estimate the signal's attenuation over a
specific distance in an open, unobstructed environment.
Path Loss:
In LOS scenarios, path loss primarily occurs due to free-space loss, which is determined by the
distance between the transmitter and the receiver. Free-space loss is described by the Friis
transmission equation:
Where:
Characteristics:
LOS communication experiences relatively low path loss, making it suitable for long-range
communication. The signal strength remains relatively stable, and it is less susceptible to
signal degradation due to obstacles.
In summary, radio propagation involves the study of how RF signals behave during
transmission. In LOS scenarios, path loss is primarily due to free-space loss and is relatively
low, while in NLOS scenarios, path loss is higher and influenced by various factors such as
reflection and diffraction. Understanding path loss in different scenarios is essential for
designing effective wireless communication systems.
In summary, the Ray Ground Reflection Model explains how radio waves bounce off the
ground and contribute to wireless communication. It helps us understand why signals can
sometimes be stronger or weaker and why wireless devices can work effectively even in
challenging environments.
Imagine you have two antennas, one that sends out a wireless signal (transmitting antenna) and
another that receives the signal (receiving antenna). The space between them isn't just a straight
line; it can be a bit curved, like the shape of an elongated football.
When we talk about Fresnel zone symmetry, we're looking at these curved areas around that
imaginary straight line between the antennas. These areas are like slices of a football that help
the signal reach its destination.
In point to point wireless communications, it is important for the line of sight between two
wireless systems to be free from any obstruction (terrain, vegetation, buildings, wind farms and
a host of other obstructions). As any interference or obstruction in the LOS can result in a loss
of signal.
While installing a wireless communication system, it is important to keep an elliptical region
between the transmit antenna and the receive antenna free from any obstruction for the proper
functioning of the system. This 3D elliptical region between the transmit antenna and the
receive antenna is called the Fresnel Zone. The size of the ellipse is determined by the
frequency of operation and the distance between the two sites.
Fresnel zones are numbered, starting from the first zone closest to the straight line between the
antennas and going outward like rings on a tree. Each zone has its own elliptical shape.
This symmetry is important because it ensures that the wireless signal can travel from the
transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna with minimal interference or distortion caused by
obstacles in the path, such as buildings or hills. When the Fresnel zones are symmetrical, it
helps the signal reach its destination more reliably, resulting in better wireless communication.
So, in simple terms, Fresnel zone symmetry means that these curved zones around the straight
line between antennas are balanced and identical on both sides, which is crucial for a strong
and clear wireless signal.
The Fresnel zone is made up of multiple zones, with zone 1 having the strongest signal and
following zones (Zone 2, and Zone 3) having weaker signals.
Based on the figure above, the Fresnel Zone is calculated using the following equation.
11. Briefly explain knife-edge diffraction model.
The knife-edge diffraction model is a concept in wireless communication that helps us
understand how radio waves can bend and diffract around obstacles, such as buildings, hills,
or other obstacles, and still reach their intended destination. Here's a brief explanation of the
knife-edge diffraction model:
When radio waves travel from a transmitting antenna to a receiving antenna, they typically
follow a straight-line path known as the line-of-sight (LOS) path. However, in the real world,
there are often obstacles in the path that can block the LOS. When this happens, the knife-edge
diffraction model comes into play.
Imagine a scenario where there's a tall building between a transmitter and a receiver. In a perfect
world, the radio waves would be blocked entirely by the building, and there would be no signal
at the receiver. But in reality, something interesting happens.
The knife-edge diffraction model takes into account the sharp edge or "knife-edge" of the
obstacle, such as the corner of a building. When the radio waves encounter this edge, they can
bend or diffract around it. This bending of waves allows some portion of the signal to reach the
receiver, even if it's not a direct LOS path.
Several factors influence the amount of diffraction that occurs, including the wavelength of the
radio waves and the size and shape of the obstacle. The knife-edge diffraction model provides
mathematical equations and predictions to estimate how much signal can diffract around the
obstacle and still be received.
The path loss due to diffraction in the knife edge model is controlled by the Fresnel Diffraction
Parameter which measures how deep the receiver is within the shadowed region. A negative
value for the parameter shows that the obstruction is below the line of sight and if the value is
below -1 there is hardly any loss. A value of 0 (zero) means that the transmitter, receiver and
tip of the obstruction are all in line and the Electric Field Strength is reduced by half or the
power is reduced to one fourth of the value without the obstruction. As the value of the Fresnel
Diffraction Parameter increases on the positive side the path loss rapidly increases. Sometimes
the exact calculation is not needed and only an approximate calculation, as proposed by Lee in
1985, is sufficient.
Fresnel Diffraction Parameter (v) is defined as:
v=h√(2(d1+d2)/(λ d1 d2))
where,
d1 is the distance between the transmitter and the obstruction along the line of sight
d2 is the distance between the receiver and the obstruction along the line of sight
h is the height of the obstruction above the line of sight
and λ is the wavelength
12. Explain briefly how a RAKE receiver improves the received signal strength.
A RAKE receiver is like a clever detective that improves the strength of the signal it receives.
The dictionary meaning of rake is to gather or collect together something and actually is a
garden tool to collect leaves. But in the terms of computer network, it is for the purpose of
collecting signals from multiple paths arriving at the receiver end. A Rake Receiver is a radio
receiver which is designed for the purpose to counter the effects of multipath fading. Due to
reflections from multiple obstacles in the environment, the radio channel can consist of multiple
copies of the transmitted signal having different amplitude, phases or delays. A rake receiver
can resolve this issue and combine them. For this purpose, several sub-receivers are used which
are known as “fingers”. Below is a simple explanation of how it works:
Imagine you're trying to listen to someone speaking in a noisy room filled with echoes. It's hard
to understand them because the echoes mix with their voice. A RAKE receiver helps by
catching those echoes and making the person's voice clearer.
When the transmitter transmits the signal then it travels through the environment which consists
of various obstacles and the transmitted signal is reflected by them and is received by the rake
receiver from multiple paths. Rake receiver then feeds them to different fingers (correlators).
The delays in each received signal are compensated and are feeded to the Combiner, Integrator
and Comparator which combines them suitably with different appropriate time delays.
Here's how it does that:
Catching Signals: When your phone sends or receives signals, they bounce around and arrive
in different versions due to obstacles or reflections. These different versions are like echoes.
The RAKE receiver has multiple "fingers," like a detective with many ears. Each finger listens
to a different version of the signal.
Combining the Best: The RAKE receiver carefully listens to all these versions and picks the
best parts from each. It's like choosing the clearest words from each echo to build a complete
sentence. By doing this, it combines the signals effectively.
Reducing Noise: Just like a detective filtering out background noise, the RAKE receiver
reduces interference and noise. It focuses on the important parts of the signal, making it
stronger and clearer.
Better Understanding: With all this detective work, the RAKE receiver makes the received
signal much better. It's like having a conversation with someone in a quieter, less echoey room.
You can understand them more easily.
To calculate the received power level, we only need to combine all the values (when they are
all expressed as dB) :
Link margin
Since the communication conditions fluctuate, it is important to leave a margin between the
lowest receivable level (receive sensitivity)* and the normal receive level to account for
various communication phenomena e.g. fading. This ensures communication reliability.
Okumura Model:
Now, think about a city or suburbs with lots of tall buildings and houses. This model focuses
on such urban and suburban areas.
It's like planning your Wi-Fi in a neighborhood with lots of houses and apartment buildings.
The model looks at things like how tall buildings are, the frequency of the signal, and how
high antennas are placed.
This helps you figure out where to put cell towers or access points for the best coverage in
these areas.
Hata Model:
The Hata model is similar to the Okumura model but with a few differences. It's used for
both urban and suburban areas.
Imagine planning your Wi-Fi in a town where there are fewer tall buildings compared to a
big city.
Just like the Okumura model, it considers antenna height, frequency, and the type of
environment (urban or suburban).
This model helps you make sure you have good wireless coverage in areas with moderate
building density, like neighborhoods and smaller towns.
So, these outdoor propagation models are like planning tools for setting up Wi-Fi and cell
phone networks. They help you understand how signals move in different outdoor places,
whether it's hilly countryside, a bustling city, or a peaceful suburb. By considering things like
terrain, building height, and frequency, you can create networks that work well in these diverse
outdoor environments.
So, fading is when your signal goes through ups and downs, and there are different types of
fading depending on how and where it happens.
In wireless communication, diffraction allows signals to bend around obstacles like buildings,
mountains, or other barriers, enabling the signal to reach areas that would otherwise be in shadow, or
"non-line-of-sight" regions. This bending of waves happens because the waves interact with the edges
of the obstacle, causing the energy to spread into the shadowed region.
The amount of diffraction depends on the size of the obstacle relative to the wavelength of the wave.
Longer wavelengths (lower frequencies) diffract more than shorter wavelengths (higher frequencies).
Diffraction is crucial in urban environments where buildings and other structures could obstruct the
direct line of sight between the transmitter and receiver.
20. Explain various types of diversity techniques and explain them in brief.
Diversity techniques are methods used in wireless communication to improve signal quality and reduce
the impact of fading and interference. Here are some common types:
Frequency diversity is a technique used in wireless communication to enhance the reliability and
performance of a transmission system by reducing the effects of fading and interference. In frequency
diversity, the same information is transmitted simultaneously over multiple frequency channels. Here's
a brief explanation of how it works and its benefits:
1. Working Principle:
o In frequency diversity, the transmitted signal is spread across several different frequency
channels. These frequencies are spaced apart so that if one frequency experiences fading
or interference, the others may remain unaffected. The receiver combines the signals
from the different frequencies to reconstruct the original information.
2. Benefits:
o Improved Signal Reliability: By transmitting over multiple frequencies, frequency
diversity ensures that even if one or more frequencies experience deep fades or
interference, the overall signal quality is maintained.
o Reduced Error Rates: The redundancy provided by using multiple frequencies
decreases the probability of data loss or errors, leading to better communication quality.
o Resilience to Fading: Multipath fading, where signals take different paths and can
interfere destructively, is less impactful when multiple frequencies are used, as it's
unlikely that all frequencies will experience fades simultaneously.
3. Applications:
o Frequency diversity is widely used in systems where high reliability is critical, such as
in military communication systems, satellite communication, and some forms of wireless
broadband.
Space diversity is a method used to improve the reliability of a wireless communication system by
exploiting the spatial dimension. It involves using multiple antennas at different physical locations to
receive the same signal. Here’s how it works:
1. Antenna Separation:
o The basic idea is that when multiple antennas are placed at different locations, they experience
different signal fading conditions due to variations in the physical environment.
o If one antenna receives a weak signal due to fading, it’s likely that another antenna will receive
a stronger version of the same signal.
2. Combining Techniques:
o The signals from multiple antennas are combined to improve the overall signal quality. There are
several ways to combine these signals, including:
Selection Combining: The strongest signal among the received signals is selected.
Maximum Ratio Combining: All signals are weighted according to their signal strength
and combined.
Equal Gain Combining: All signals are combined with equal weighting.
3. Application in Cellular Networks:
o Space diversity is widely used in cellular networks to combat fading and improve signal quality.
For instance, base stations often have multiple antennas placed at different heights or positions
to ensure that a reliable signal is received from mobile devices.
4. Advantages:
o Improved Signal Quality: By combining signals from multiple antennas, the overall signal-to-
noise ratio (SNR) is improved, leading to better communication quality.
o Reduced Fading: Space diversity effectively reduces the impact of multipath fading, which is
common in wireless environments.
In summary, space diversity techniques enhance the reliability and quality of wireless communication
by using multiple antennas to receive signals at different spatial locations, thereby mitigating the effects
of signal fading.
Time Diversity:
Explanation: This technique involves transmitting the same signal at different time intervals.
Due to the variability of fading over time, the signal is less likely to be affected by deep fading
at all the time slots. This technique can be implemented using repeated transmissions or
interleaving.
Benefit: Reduces the likelihood of signal loss due to time-varying channel conditions, thus
improving signal reliability.
Polarization Diversity:
Polarization Diversity require two transmitter and two receiving antennas with different polarization.
The transmission wave with two different polarization constitute two different paths. This provide
only two different diversity branches. Polarization Diversity uses half power by dividing the power
between two different polarized antennas.
Angular Diversity:
It is also known as pattern diversity. This diversity allows the identical antennas to be located at same
location but with a different pattern. These two co-located antennas with different patterns will provide
a diverse path for multipath signal. It enhances the decorrelation of signal at closely spaced antennas.