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This book is divided into the following chapters...               

  • 1.-  Introduction to Wireless Propagation                                                                                       We present a brief introduction to the basic concepts and mechanisms driving the wireless propagation channel. Then, we present very simple time-series analysis techniques which cover the basics previously introduced. These include the fast variations due to multipath and the combined effects of shadowing and multipath. Finally, we have a look into the signal's complex envelope, and we plot its magnitude and phase. We also present the Rayleigh and Rice cases which correspond to harsh and benign propagation conditions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
  • 2. - Shadowing Effects                                                                                        
                  We present several techniques for quantifying the shadowing effects caused by totally absorbing screens. Even though the formulations presented are somehow more involved than those in other chapters, we have thought it helpful to provide the reader with tools to reproduce the effect of the presence of buildings and other large obstacles. In this way, the reader will be able to replicate the effects of the terrain or the signal variations while driving along a street. We also wanted to point out that, through fairly simple physical models, it is possible to reproduce the inherent cross-correlation properties observed between wanted or interfering signals converging on a given mobile terminal.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
    3.- Coverage and Interference                                                                                                                   Looks into the shadowing phenomenon from a statistical point of view. In Chapter 2 we looked at it from a deterministic point of view. We provide a number of simulation cases where the various aspects of shadowing are presented, thus, we first look at the normal distribution describing the variability of shadowing effects when expressed in dB, and we link the mean of the distribution to the path loss. We define two additional concepts, the location variability and the correlation length. We present alternative ways of reproducing such variations. We then present the effect of cross-correlation, and how to introduce it in simulated series using a statistical approach. Finally, we introduce the multiple interference case. We also use the generated series in hard- and soft-handover examples.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
    4. -   Introduction to Multipath                                                                            
                         After studying the shadowing effects, we start the analysis of the multipath phenomenon. This is introduced by presenting first, very simple geometries, and continuing with more intricate ones. We point out how multipath is a time-selective phenomenon, i.e., it gives rise to fades. In addition, the movement of at least one of the terminals causes Doppler effects. We see how the Doppler shift and the angle of arrival of a given echo are interrelated, and that there is a limit to the maximum rate of change possible, if it is only the terminal that is moving. Throughout, we assume that multipath gives rise to a spatial standing wave, sensed by the terminal antenna as it moves. We also show a possible way of generating time variations when the mobile terminal is stationary. Finally, we briefly introduce the case where both terminals, and even the scatterers, are moving. In this chapter, and throughout this book, we use a very simple approach for the multipath channel based on the so-called multiple point-scatterer model.                                                                                                                                                                                                    
    5.-  Multipath: Narrowband Channel                                                                                               We continue our discussion on the narrowband multipath channel. In this case, we go one step further and use normalized levels so that we are able to introduce our synthetic time series in actual link-level simulators, where the working point (the average signal-to-noise ratio) is extremely important. We continue our discussion using the multiple point-scatterer model to simulate second-order statistics, and other parameters. We then introduce in the model a direct ray, thus generating a Rice series. Afterward, we present alternative ways for generating Rayleigh and Rice series, one consisting in an array of low frequency sinusoidal generators, and the other consisting on the combination in quadrature of two random Gaussian, noise-like signals, which are also filtered to force the wanted Doppler characteristics. Finally, we look into the issue of space diversity, both at the mobile and the base station sides. The concept of diversity gain/improvement is introduced.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
    6.-  Shadowing and Multipath                                                                                                        We conclude our analysis of the narrowband channel by modeling together the slow and fast variations due to shadowing and multipath, respectively. We present two mixed distributions: Suzuki and Loo. We also simulate a very simple power control technique.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
    7.-  Wideband Channel                                                                                      
                      Completes our picture of the channel. When the time spreading is significant with respect to the duration of the transmitted symbols, selective fading starts to be important. We introduce techniques for characterizing wideband channels, starting with deterministic time-varying channels, and then going on to introduce the stochastic characterization. The main functions and parameters necessary are discussed. We put the wideband channel in the frame of the multiple point-scatterer model, which has been used for presenting illustrative channel simulations. Finally, a statistical model, that of COST 207, is implemented.                                                                                                                                                                             
    8.-   Propagation in Microcells and Picocells:                                                                                   We review several issues of relevance for the microcell and picocell scenarios. We also consider the outdoor-to-indoor propagation case. In addition to reviewing some basic theoretical and empirical techniques, we propose and implement simulations which deal with the modeling of these scenarios using simple, image-theory ray-tracing techniques, which reproduce what empirical models forecast. Moreover, we introduce the consideration of diffraction effects in these scenarios. Finally, we also present a widespread statistical model due to Saleh and Valenzuela for describing the wideband indoor channel, where we present the concept of ray clustering.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
    9.-   The Land Mobile Satellite Channel                                                                                                  We become acquainted with some of the issues specific to this channel, and its more common modeling techniques. We present alternative ways for generating time series, i.e., using a fully statistical approach based on Markov chains, and a mixed statistical-deterministic approach, called here the virtual city approach. Additionally, we become familiar with simple techniques for assessing multiple satellite availability by making use of constellation simulator data, together with urban masks. Finally, we quantify the Doppler shift caused by non-GEO satellites.                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                         
    10.-   The Directional Wireless Channel                                                                                               Concludes our study on the wireless channel. Here we study the spatial properties of the multipath channel. We first learn how scatterer contributions tend to be clustered in terms of excess delays, which indicate that they can belong to the same obstacle. We also see that these clustered contributions are spread out in angle of arrival and departure. We also simulate the multiple antenna channel (MIMO, multiple-input multiple-output) using our point-scatterer approach and we show how the capacity can be increased substantially. Finally, we present another approach, a statistical one, for simulating the MIMO channel.