Wireless Networks

(CS-6311)

Wireless propagation

Lecture# 02

Dr. Shahzad Ashraf

Associate Professor
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
 Propagation is a tendency of EM waves to travel from one place to another place.
 Channel refers to the medium through which a signal transferred from one point to
another.
 Wireless propagation and channel modeling are critical in understanding how
signals behave as they travel through different environments.
 Wireless propagation refers to how electromagnetic waves travel from a transmitter
to a receiver.
 Propagation can be affected by various factors, including distance, medium
composition, and physical obstacles.
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
 When a signal hits the obstacle, following possible effects would happen to the
signal based on the surface on which the signal impinges
Absorption
• Some material reduce wireless signals’ strength and eat up all potential energy.
• Brick wall and water are two great absorbers.
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
Absorption Cont…
• Don’t place wireless router near to a refrigerator and a fish tank because they are
the good absorbers of the wireless signals.
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
Fading
• The time variation of received signal power due to changes in transmission
medium or paths is known as fading.
• These variations can be atmospheric conditions such as rainfall and lightning,
geographical position, time, radio frequency etc.
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
Small scale v/s Large scale Fading

Small Scale Large Scale

o When user moves over a small o This occurs due to the user movement
distance, the instantaneous receive over a large distance, the average
signal strength fluctuates rapidly received signal strength would
giving raise to small scale fading gradually decrease
o The small scale fading models are o This model is used to predict the
used to predict the average received average received power at the
power at the receiver when the receiver when the distance between
receiver moves over a short range like the user and receiver increases
within a room
 Wireless propagation and channel modeling
relative motion
between the
transmitter,
receiver

obstacles like
buildings or trees
moving slowly
relative to the
transmitter/recei
ver,
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
Shadowing/ Large-scale fading
• It is the fluctuations in received signal power due to the obstruction
between the transmitter and receiver.
• It occurs when a signal travels over a large area, such as hundreds of
wavelengths.
• As a result, the signal would be blocked.
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
Reflection
• The reflections occurs when a wave impinges upon a smooth surface.

• If wave hits a smooth object that is larger than the wave itself, depending on
the media, the wave may bounce in another direction.

Computer gets signal not directly from the router but

reflected one from the ceiling
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
Refraction
• Normally, a phenomenon occurs when a wave changes direction as it passes
from one medium to another with a different density.
• In fact, it is a bending of RF signal, causes the direction of the wave to change.
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
Scattering
• It occurs when the signals wavelength is larger than pieces of a medium the
signal is reflecting from or passing through.
• The RF encounters some type of uneven surface and is reflected into multiple
directions.
• The main signal dissipates into multiple reflected signals causing substantial
signal downgrade and may cause loss of received signal.
Wireless propagation and channel modeling
Diffraction
• It is the bending and spreading around of an RF signal when it encounters an
obstruction.
• The waves that encounter the object bend around the object, taking a longer and
different path.
• The waves that do not encounter the object do not bend and maintain a shorter
and original path.
• This phenomenon causes by some sort of partial blockage such as a small hill or
building that is between a transmitting radio and receiver.
Challenges to wireless communication?

Radio transmission: Easily generated, Omni-directional , travel long

distance , easily penetrates buildings.
Challenges: Frequency dependent , relatively low bandwidth for data
communication , tightly licensed by government.
Microwave transmission: widely used for long distance communication ,
relatively inexpensive.
Challenges: Don’t pass through buildings , weather and frequency
dependent.
Infrared and millimeter waves: Widely used for short range
communication , unable to pass through solid objects , used for indoor
wireless LANs , not for outdoors.
Challenges: Unable to penetrate rain or thick fog , laser beam can be easily
diverted by air.
Channel models
Channel model describes how signals propagate from the transmitter to the receiver,
affected by various factors

Rayleigh Fading Model

o It is used when there is no dominant line-of-sight (LOS) path between the
transmitter and receiver, typically in urban or indoor environments with multiple
scattering surfaces like buildings or walls.
o Signals are reflected and scattered multiple times, leading to constructive and
destructive interference at the receiver.
o It is widely used for modeling fast-fading in environments where a direct path is
obstructed.
Path lose can be computed as
Channel models
Rician Model
o It is applicable when there is a strong direct LOS component along with scattered
components.
o The received signal consists of a strong direct path plus multiple indirect paths.
o The amplitude distribution of the signal follows a Rician distribution.
o The K-factor quantifies the ratio of the LOS component power to the scattered
power, where higher K-factors indicate stronger LOS components.
o The K-factor can be express here as
The ratio between the deterministic. signal power (from the direct path) and
the diffuse. signal power (from the indirect paths)
o Used in environments like urban areas where some direct path remains (e.g.,
between high-rise buildings)
Channel models
Path Loss Model
o It is used to estimate the reduction in signal strength as the signal propagates
through space.
o Path loss generally increases with distance and is influenced by environmental
factors such as obstacles and terrain.
o Useful for predicting coverage area, especially for network planning in both open
and obstructed environments.
Free-Space Path Loss (FSPL) Model
Channel models
Path Loss Model

Free-Space Path Loss (FSPL) Model

Example
Calculate the path loss at a frequency of 2.4 GHz over a distance of
100 meter

Now just substitute values into the formula

The End