Tools

Pathloss and Shadowing

Pathloss

Through this simulation, the aim is to explore how different parameters impact the pathloss in wireless communication systems. By adjusting and measuring various factors, you will observe how the pathloss varies with respect to the antenna gain, frequency, and the heights of the transmitter and receiver. Follow these steps to perform the experiment:

  1. Enter the input parameters Antenna gain G, Carrier frequency fc, Height of the transmitter Ht, Height of the receiver Hr.
  2. Once the input parameters are entered, begin adjusting the position of the receiver. You can do this by using the position slider. This slider allows you to change the distance between the transmitter and receiver, which will affect the received signal strength and pathloss. You can observe that, as you move away from the Tx, the recieved signal strength decreases.
  3. After selecting the desired receiver position, click the "Register" button to log the current configuration. This action will plot the pathloss on a graph, showing how the signal strength (or loss) changes with distance at the current receiver position. The graph generated will display the relationship between the distance and the pathloss, based on the selected values for the parameters (antenna gain, frequency, and antenna heights).
  4. To gain a deeper understanding of how pathloss varies, you can repeat the process by adjusting the receiver position to different distances and modifying the the other parameters.

Key points to observe:

  1. The relationship between pathloss and distance: Typically, as distance increases, pathloss also increases, indicating a weaker signal.
  2. The impact of antenna gain on pathloss: Higher antenna gain can reduce the pathloss, as it focuses more energy in the desired direction.
  3. The effect of transmitter and receiver height: The height of both antennas can influence the signal's propagation, with higher antennas generally reducing pathloss due to a clearer line of sight.

By following these steps and experimenting with different parameter values, you will gain a better understanding of the factors influencing pathloss in wireless communication systems.

Shadowing

This experiment will simulate how obstacles cause shadowing and degrade signal quality in the communication area. Follow these steps to understand the experiment:

  1. Imagine that there is a transmitter located at the center of the simulation area. This transmitter sends out signals in all directions.The aim is to observe how obstacles interfere with the signal propagation and affect signal strength.
  2. Place obstacles: To begin, click on any location within the simulation area. By clicking, an obstacle will be generated at the selected location.
  3. After placing an obstacle, you will notice that the area behind the obstacle becomes reddish. This color change represents the decrease in signal strength due to the obstruction. The reddish areas indicate regions where the signal coverage is weak, meaning the radio waves are blocked or reflected by the obstacle, causing shadowing.
  4. As you place more obstacles throughout the simulation area, you will notice that the blue areas become smaller and the red areas expand. This indicates that the signal coverage is being increasingly degraded as more obstacles are introduced.