Mean receiver power prediction for indoors 802.11 WLANS using the ray tracing technique

 

J. Sánchez, C. Castro & L. Villaseñor

 

Electronics and Telecommunications Department, CICESE Research Center, Ensenada, Baja California C.P. 22860, MÉXICO, jasan@cicese.mx, temo_castro@hotmail.com, luisvi@cicese.mx

 

Abstract

A technique for the modeling of wireless channels, namely the image ray tracing algorithm, is developed in this work to predict the local mean received power of a wireless local area network (WLAN) based on the 802.11a standard operating in the 5 GHz band. This technique has been enhanced in order to account for the propagation of the electromagnetic waves thru a wireless environment, including the absorption and reflection phenomenon at obstacles. The image ray tracing algorithm is used to calculate all the possible propagation paths between a radio transmitter and a receiver. The simulation results of the mean received power strength are compared against field measurements to validate the convenience of the simulation approach.

Keywords: Mobile communications, WLANs, IEEE 802.11, 4^th Generation wireless networks, Wireless channel model, Ray tracing.

 

Resumen

En este artículo se presenta una técnica de modelado de canal radio para interiores que es utilizada para predicción de potencia en redes de área local inalámbricas (WLAN) 802.11a en la banda de los 5 GHz, simulando los mecanismos de propagación de la onda electromagnética. La técnica utilizada para el modelado del canal radio es el trazado de rayos basado en imágenes, que calcula todas las trayectorias posibles desde el transmisor al receptor; en este trabajo se ha mejorado ésta técnica, al tomar en cuenta los fenómenos de reflexión y absorción de las ondas electromagnéticas por los obstáculos del ambiente de propagación. Los valores de potencia promedio obtenidos de las simulaciones son comparados contra mediciones realizadas en el sitio específico considerado, para validar la conveniencia del modelo de simulación.

 

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