11/14/22, 9:53 AM Multipath channel models: scattering function - GaussianWaves

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Multipath channel models: scattering

function
July 8, 2014 by Mathuranathan

Understand various characteristics of a wireless channel through multipath

channel models. Discuss Wide Sense Stationary channel, uncorrelated
scattering channel, wide sense stationary uncorrelated scattering channel
models and scattering function.

Introduction
Wireless channel is of time-varying nature in which the parameters randomly
change with respect to time. Wireless channel is very harsh when compared
to AWGN channel model which is often considered for simulation and
modeling. Understanding the various characteristics of a wireless channel and
understanding their physical significance is of paramount importance. In
these series of articles, I seek to expound various statistical characteristics of a
multipath wireless channel by giving more importance to the concept than
the mathematical derivation.

This article is part of the book

● Wireless Communication Systems in Matlab (second edition),
ISBN: 979-8648350779 available in ebook (PDF) format and
Paperback (hardcopy) format. 

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Complex baseband mutipath channel model:

In a multipath channel, multiple copies of a signal travel different paths with
different propagation delays and are received at the receiver at different
phase angles and strengths. These rays add constructively or destructively at
the receiver front end, thereby giving rise to rapid fluctuations in the channel.
The multipath channel can be viewed as a linear time variant system where
the parameters change randomly with respect to time. The channel impulse
response is a two dimensional random variable – that is a function of
two parameters – instantaneous time and the propagation delay . The
channel is expressed as a set of random complex gains at a given time and
the propagation delay . The output of the channel can be expressed as the
convolution of the complex channel impulse response and the input

If the complex channel gains are typically drawn from a complex Gaussian
distribution, then at any given time , the absolute value of the impulse
response is Rayleigh distributed (if the mean of the distribution
or Rician distributed (if the mean of the distribution .
These two scenarios model the presence or absence of a Line of Sight (LOS)
path between the transmitter and the receiver.

Here, the values for the channel impulse response are samples of a random
process that is defined with respect to time and the multipath delay τ. That
is, for each combination of and τ, a randomly drawn value is assigned for the
channel impulse response. As with any other random process, we can
calculate the general autocorrelation function as

Given the generic autocorrelation function above, following assumptions can

be made to restrict the channel model to the following specific set of
categories

Wide Sense Stationary channel model
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Uncorrelated Scattering channel model

Wide Sense Stationary Uncorrelated Scattering channel model

Wide Sense Stationary (WSS) channel model

In this channel model, the impulse response of the channel is considered
Wide Sense Stationary (WSS) , that is the channel impulse response is
independent of time . In other words, the autocorrelation function is
independent of time instant t and it depends on the difference between the
time instants where and . The autocorrelation
function for WSS channel model is expressed as

Uncorrelated Scattering (US) channel model

Here, the individual scattered components arriving at the receiver front end
(at different propagation delays) are assumed to be uncorrelated. Thus the
autocorrelation function can be expressed as

Wide Sense Stationary Uncorrelated Scattering

(WSSUS) channel model
The WSSUS channel model combines the aspects of WSS and US channel
model that are discussed above. Here, the channel is considered as Wide
Sense Stationary and the scattering components arriving at the receiver are
assumed to be uncorrelated. Combining both the worlds, the autocorrelation
function is

Scattering function
The autocorrelation function of the WSSUS channel model can be 
represented in frequency domain by taking Fourier transform with respect

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one or both variables – difference in time and the propagation delay . Of

the two forms, the Fourier transform on the variable gives specific insight
to channel properties in terms of propagation delay and the Doppler
Frequency simultaneously. The Fourier transform of the above two-
dimensional autocorrelation function on the variable is called scattering
function and is given by

Fourier transform of relative time is Doppler Frequency. Thus, the

scattering function is a function of two variables – Dopper Frequency and
the propagation delay . It gives the average output power of the channel as a
function of Doppler Frequency and the propagation delay .

Figure 1: Relation between scattering function, power delay profile, Doppler 

power spectrum, spaced frequency

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correlation function and spaced time correlation function (click to know

more)

Two important relationships can be derived from the scattering function –

Power Delay Profile (PDP) and Doppler Power Spectrum. Both of them affect the
performance of a given wireless channel. Power Delay Profile is a function of
propagation delay and the Doppler Power Spectrum is a function of Doppler
Frequency.

Power Delay Profile gives the signal intensity received over a multipath
channel as a function of propagation delays. It is obtained as the spatial
average of the complex baseband channel impulse response as

Power Delay Profile can also be obtained from scattering function, by

integrating it over the entire frequency range (removing the dependence on
Doppler frequency).

Similarly, the Doppler Power Spectrum can be obtained by integrating the

scattering function over the entire range of propagation delays.

Fourier Transform of Power Delay Profile and

Inverse Fourier Transform of Doppler Power
Spectrum:
Power Delay Profile is a function of time which can be transformed to
frequency domain by taking Fourier Transform. Fourier Transform of Power
Delay Profile is called spaced-frequency correlation function. Spaced-frequency
correlation function describes the spreading of a signal in frequency domain.
This gives rise to the importance channel parameter – Coherence Bandwidth.

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Similarly, the Doppler Power Spectrum describes the output power of the
multipath channel in frequency domain. The Doppler Power Spectrum when
translated to time-domain by means of inverse Fourier transform is called
spaced-time correlation function. Spaced-time correlation function describes the
correlation between different scattered signals received at two different times
as a function of the difference in the received time. It gives rise to the concept
of Coherence Time.

Next Topic : Power Delay Profile

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For further reading

[1] L. Bernadó, T. Zemen, F. Tufvesson, A. F. Molisch and C. F.
Mecklenbräuker, “The (in-) validity of the WSSUS assumption in vehicular
radio channels,” 2012 IEEE 23rd International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and
Mobile Radio Communications – (PIMRC), Sydney, NSW, 2012, pp. 1757-1762, doi:
10.1109/PIMRC.2012.6362634.↗

Books by the author

Wireless Digital Modulations Digital Modulations

Communication using Python using Matlab 
Systems in Matlab (PDF ebook) (PDF ebook)
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