Antennas and

Radio Wave Propagation

EM Wave Propagation

Book: Simon R. Sauders and Alejandro A. Zavala, “Antenna and propagation for
wireless communication systems, 2nd edition”, 2007
Wireless Propagation Landscape
Commmunication System and
Communication Channel
 Two Types of Noise in Wireless
Communication Channel

• Directional characteristics of antennas • Internal thermal noise

• Reflection • Atmospheric effect
• Absorption • Cosmic radiation
• Scattering • Interference from other transmitters
• Diffraction and electric appliances
• Refraction
Contributions to Noise in the Wireless
Channel
Three Scales of Mobile Signal Variation
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Key Milestones in the Development
of Wireless Communication (1)
Key Milestones in the Development
of Wireless Communication (2)
Key Milestones in the Development
of Wireless Communication (3)
 Wireless Communication System
Types
❖ Satellite fixed link: SHF
and EHF bands
❖ Terrestrial fixed link: VHF
to EHF bands
❖ Megacells: L / S bands,
satellite, baloon, 1000km
❖ Macrocells: VHF / UHF /
low SHF, cell radius 1km
and up, outdoor
❖ Microcells: VHF / UHF /
28GHz / 60GHz, cell
length 500m,
indoor/outdoor
❖ Picocells: indoor very
high data rate, mobile and
fixed users
Cellular Networks: GSM

▪ MSC: Mobile Switching Center

▪ PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network
▪ HLR: Hole Location Register
▪ VLR: Visitor Location Register
▪ BSS: Base Station Subsystem
▪ BSC: Base Station Controller
▪ BTS: Base Transceiver Station
▪ AI: Air Interface
▪ MS: Mobile Station
Cell Coverage and Frequency Reuse
 Plane Wave (1)

Complex quantities:

Wave impedance:
Lossy media:

Free space:

Phase velocity:

Free space:
Plane Wave (2)
 Polarization

Axial Ratio:
Refection, Refraction and Transmission (1)
Refection, Refraction and Transmission (2):
Transmission and Reflection Coefficients

Lossy media:
Refection, Refraction and Transmission (3):
Transmission and Reflection Coefficients
Typical Reflection and Transmission
Coefficients (1)
Typical Reflection and Transmission
Coefficients (2)
Change of Polarization State
Rough Surface Scattering
Roughness Factor
Geometrical Optics (1)
Geometrical Optics (2)
Diffraction
Single Knife-Edge Diffraction
Fresnel Zone for Knife-Edge
Diffraction Calculation
Example of the Field Around an
Absorbing Knife-Edge
Geometrical Theory of Diffraction -
GTD
GTD is applied when structure, shape, materials of obstruction are considered
Uniform GTD (UTD) for Wedge
Diffraction (1)
UTD for Wedge Diffraction (2)
UTD for Wedge Diffraction (3)
Basic Propagation Models (1)
Basic Propagation Models (2)
Free Space Loss
Plane Earth Loss (1)

When incident angle is small, R=-1

Plane Earth Loss (2)
Plane Earth Loss (3)
Link Budgets