Module:3

Introduction to Mobile Radio Propagation

Prepared by
Dr. P . Vijayakumar
Associate Professor / SENSE
VIT Chennai
 Syllabus

• Free space propagation model

• Three basic propagation mechanism
– Reflection
– Diffraction and
– Scattering
• Two ray ground reflection model
 Propagation Mechanisms
• Reflection
– Propagation wave impinges on an object which is large as
compared to wavelength
- e.g., the surface of the Earth, buildings, walls, etc.
• Diffraction
– Radio path between transmitter and receiver
obstructed by surface with sharp irregular edges
– Waves bend around the obstacle, even when LOS (line of sight)
does not exist
• Scattering
– Objects smaller than the wavelength of the
propagation wave
- e.g. foliage, street signs, lamp posts

3
 Radio Propagation Effects

Building

Direct Signal

hb Reflected Signal
Diffracted
Signal hm

d
Transmitter Receiver

4
Reflection
Ground Reflection Model
Ground Reflection Model
Diffraction
 Free-space Propagation

hb

hm

Transmitter Distance d
Receiver

• The received signal power at distance d:

AeGtPt
Pr 
4d 2
where Pt is transmitting power, Ae is effective area, and Gt is the
transmitting antenna gain. Assuming that the radiated power is uniformly
distributed over the surface of the sphere.

11
 Radio Wave Propagation

• Large-scale fading: transmission over large T-R separation

distance (hundreds or thousands meters)

• Small-scale fading: transmission over short travel distance (a

few wavelengths) or short time duration (seconds)
Free Space Propagation Model
 Free Space Propagation Model

• The free space propagation model is used to predict received

signal strength when the transmitter and receiver have a clear,
unobstructed line-of-sight path between them.

• The free space model predicts that received power decays as a

function of the T-R separation distance raised to some power
(i.e. a power law function).
Problem I
Free Space Propagation Model
 Free Space Propagation Model

• Near-field
– The close-in region of an antenna where the angular field
distribution is dependent upon the distance from the
antenna
– The region close to a source

• Far-field
– The close-in region of an antenna where the angular field
distribution is independent upon the distance from the
antenna
Far-field (Fraunhofer region)
Problem
Problem
 Antenna Gain
• For a circular reflector antenna
Gain G =  (  D /  )2
 = net efficiency (depends on the electric field distribution over the
antenna aperture, losses, ohmic heating , typically 0.55)
D = diameter
thus, G =  ( D f /c )2, c =  f (c is speed of light)

Example:
• Antenna with diameter = 2 m, frequency = 6 GHz, wavelength = 0.05 m
G = 39.4 dB
• Frequency = 14 GHz, same diameter, wavelength = 0.021 m
G = 46.9 dB

* Higher the frequency, higher the gain for the same size antenna

22
 Land Propagation

• The received signal power:

Gt Gr Pt
Pr 
L
where Gr is the receiver antenna gain,
L is the propagation loss in the channel, i.e.,
L = LP LS LF
Fast fading

Slow fading

Path loss

23
 Path Loss (Free-space)

• Definition of path loss LP :

Pt
LP  ,
Pr
Path Loss in Free-space:

LPF (dB)  32.45  20 log10 f c ( MHz)  20 log10 d (km),

where fc is the carrier frequency.

This shows greater the fc , more is the loss.

24
 Path Loss (Land Propagation)

• Simplest Formula:
Lp = A d-α

where
A and α: propagation constants
d : distance between transmitter and receiver
α : value of 3 ~ 4 in typical urban area

25
Example of Path Loss (Free-space)

Path Loss in Free-space

130
Path Loss Lf (dB)

120 fc=150MHz
fc=200MHz
110
fc=400MHz
100
fc=800MHz
90
fc=1000MHz
80 fc=1500MHz
70
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Distance d (km)

26
 Path Loss (Urban, Suburban and Open areas)
• Urban area:
LPU (dB)  69.55  26.16 log10 f c ( MHz)  13.82 log10 hb (m)   hm (m)
 44.9  6.55 log10 hb (m)log10 d (km)
where
1.1log10 f c ( MHz)  0.7hm (m)  1.56 log10 f c ( MHz)  0.8, for l arg e city

 hm (m)  8.29log10 1.54hm (m)2  1.1, for f c  200 MHz 
 , for small & medium city
3.2log10 11.75hm (m)  4.97, for f c  400 MHz
2

• Suburban area: 2
 f ( MHz) 
LPS (dB)  LPU (dB)  2log10 c   5.4
 28 
• Open area:
LPO (dB)  LPU (dB)  4.78log10 f c ( MHz)  18.33 log10 f c ( MHz)  40.94
2

27
 Path Loss

• Path loss in decreasing order:

– Urban area (large city)
– Urban area (medium and small city)
– Suburban area
– Open area

28
Example of Path Loss (Urban Area: Large City)

Path Loss in Urban Area in Large City

180
fc=200MHz
170
Path Loss Lpu (dB)

fc=400MHz
160 fc=800MHz
150 fc=1000MHz
140 fc=1500MHz
fc=150MHz
130
120
110
100
0 10 20 30

Distance d (km)

29
 Example of Path Loss
(Urban Area: Medium and Small Cities)
Path Loss in Urban Area for Small & Medium Cities

180
170
Path Loss Lpu (dB)

fc=150MHz
160
fc=200MHz
150
fc=400MHz
140
fc=800MHz
130
fc=1000MHz
120
fc=1500MHz
110
100
0 10 20 30

Distance d (km)

30
 Example of Path Loss (Suburban Area)

Path Loss in Suburban Area

170
160
Path Loss Lps (dB)

fc=150MHz
150
fc=200MHz
140
fc=400MHz
130
fc=800MHz
120
fc=1000MHz
110
fc=1500MHz
100
90
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Distance d (km)

31
 Example of Path Loss (Open Area)

Path Loss in Open Area

150

140
Path Loss Lpo (dB)

fc=150MHz
130
fc=200MHz
120 fc=400MHz
110 fc=800MHz

100 fc=1000MHz
fc=1500MHz
90

80
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Distance d (km)

32
 Fading
Fast Fading
(Short-term fading)

Slow Fading
(Long-term fading)

Signal
Strength
(dB) Path Loss

Distance
33
 Slow Fading
• The long-term variation in the mean level is known as slow fading (shadowing
or log-normal fading). This fading caused by shadowing.
• Log-normal distribution:
- The pdf of the received signal level is given in decibels by

M M 
2

pM  
1 2 2
e ,
2 

where M is the true received signal level m in decibels, i.e., 10log10m,

M is the area average signal level, i.e., the mean of M,
 is the standard deviation in decibels

34
Log-normal Distribution

2

p(M)

M
M

The pdf of the received signal level

35
 Fast Fading
• The signal from the transmitter may be reflected from
objects such as hills, buildings, or vehicles.
– When MS far from BS, the envelope distribution of received signal is
Rayleigh distribution. The pdf is
r2
 2
pr  
r
e 2
, r 0
 2

where  is the standard deviation.

– Middle value rm of envelope signal within sample range to be
satisfied by
P(r  rm)  0.5.
– We have rm = 1.777
36
 Rayleigh Distribution
P(r)

1.0

0.8
=1
0.6

0.4 =2

=3
0.2

r
0
2 4 6 8 10

The pdf of the envelope variation

37
 Fast Fading (Continued)

• When MS far from BS, the envelope distribution of

received signal is Rician distribution. The pdf is
r 2  2
  r 
p r  
r
e 2 2
I 0  , r  0
 2
 
where
 is the standard deviation,
I0(x) is the zero-order Bessel function of the first kind,
 is the amplitude of the direct signal

38
 Rician Distribution
= 0 (Rayleigh)
=1
0.6
=2
0.5 =3

0.4
Pdf p(r)

0.3 =1

0.2

0.1

00
r
2 4 6 8
r
The pdf of the envelope variation
39
Two ray ground reflection model
• Friis propagation model considers the line-of-sight (LOS) path
between the transmitter and the receiver.

• The expression for the received power becomes complicated if

the effect of reflections from the earth surface has to be
incorporated in the modeling.

• In addition to the line-of-sight path, a single reflected path is

added in the two-ray ground reflection model, as illustrated in
Figure 1.
Two ray ground reflection model
• This model takes into account the phenomenon of reflection
from the ground and the antenna heights above the ground.

• The ground surface is characterized by reflection coefficient –

which depends on the material properties of the surface and
the type of wave polarization.

• The transmitter and receiver antennas are of

heights and respectively and are separated by the distance
of meters.
Two ray ground reflection model
Two ray ground reflection model
• The received signal consists of two components: LOS ray that
travels the free space from the transmitter and a reflected ray
from the ground surface.

• The distances traveled by the LOS ray and the reflected ray are
given by
 Two ray ground reflection model
• Depending on the phase difference ( ф) between the LOS ray
and reflected ray, the received signal may suffer constructive
or destructive interference. Hence, this model is also called
as two ray interference model.

• where, is the wavelength of the radiating wave that can be

calculated from the transmission frequency.
• Under large-scale assumption, the power of the received signal
can be expressed as
Two ray ground reflection model
Two ray ground reflection model
Two ray ground reflection model
Approximate expressions for three different
scenarios of separation distance
 Problem
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRgpa
PnyFk