Freie Universitt Berlin

Computer Systems & Telematics

Mobile Communications
Chapter 2: Wireless Transmission

Mobile Communications
Chapter 2: Wireless Transmission
This book focuses on higher layer aspects of mobile communications,
the computer science elements rather than on the radio and transmission
aspects, the electrical engineering part.
This chapter introduces only those fundamental aspects of wireless
transmission which are necessary to understand the problems of
higher layers and the complexity needed to handle transmission impairments.

Multiplexing, 2.5
Modulation, 2.6
Spread spectrum, 2.7
Cellular systems, 2.8

Frequencies, 2.1
Signals, 2.2 (read yourselves)
Antennas, 2.3 (read yourselves)
Signal propagation, 2.4

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

MC SS02

2.1

Signal propagation ranges (Chapter 2.4)

Transmission range

communication possible
low error rate

Detection range

detection of the signal

possible
no communication
possible

sender

transmission

Interference range

distance

signal may not be

detected
signal adds to the
background noise

detection
interference

This is an idealistic view!

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen H. Schiller

2002

MC SS02

2.2

2.1

Freie Universitt Berlin

Computer Systems & Telematics

Mobile Communications
Chapter 2: Wireless Transmission

Signal propagation
Propagation in free space always like light (straight line)
If such a straight line exists between sender and receiver it is called Line-of-Sight
Receiving power proportional to 1/d (d = distance between sender and receiver)
Receiving power additionally influenced by
fading (frequency dependent), the signal is faded due to distances
Shadowing or blocking
reflection at large obstacles
refraction depending on the density of a medium
These effects are not only bad,
scattering at small obstacles
some of them can be used!!
diffraction at edges

shadowing

reflection

refraction

scattering

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

diffraction

MC SS02

2.3

Multiplexing (Chapter 2.5)

channels ki
k1

k2

k3

k4

k5

k6

Multiplexing in 4 dimensions
c

space (si)
time (t)
frequency (f)
code (c)

c
t

s1

f
s2

c
t

Goal: multiple use of a shared medium

s3

Important: guard spaces needed!

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen H. Schiller

2002

MC SS02

2.4

2.2

Freie Universitt Berlin

Computer Systems & Telematics

Mobile Communications
Chapter 2: Wireless Transmission

Advanced Phase Shift Keying

Q

BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying):

bit value 0: sine wave

bit value 1: inverted sine wave
very simple PSK
low spectral efficiency
robust, used e.g. in satellite systems

10

11

00

01

t
11

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying):

2 bits coded as one symbol
symbol determines shift of sine wave
needs less bandwidth compared to
BPSK
more complex

MC SS02

10

01

00
2.5

Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM): combines amplitude and
phase modulation
it is possible to code n bits using one symbol
2n discrete levels, n=2 identical to QPSK
bit error rate increases with n, but less errors compared to
comparable PSK schemes
Q
0010
0011

0001
0000

Example: 16-QAM (4 bits = 1 symbol)

Symbols 0011 and 0001 have the same phase ,
but different amplitude a. 0000 and 1000 have
different phase, but same amplitude.

1000

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen H. Schiller

2002

MC SS02

2.6

2.3

Freie Universitt Berlin

Computer Systems & Telematics

Mobile Communications
Chapter 2: Wireless Transmission

Effects of spreading and interference

dP/df

dP/df

i)

user signal
broadband interference
narrowband interference

ii)
f
sender

dP/df

dP/df

dP/df

iii)

iv)
f

v)
f

receiver

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

MC SS02

2.7

Spreading and frequency selective fading

channel
quality

narrowband channels

4
frequency
narrow band
signal

guard space

channel
quality

spread
spectrum

spread spectrum channels

frequency

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen H. Schiller

2002

MC SS02

2.8

2.4

Freie Universitt Berlin

Computer Systems & Telematics

Mobile Communications
Chapter 2: Wireless Transmission

DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) I

XOR of the signal with pseudo-random number (chipping sequence)

many chips per bit (e.g., 128) result in higher bandwidth of the signal

Advantages

reduces frequency selective

fading
in cellular networks

base stations can use the

same frequency range
several base stations can
detect and recover the signal
soft handover

tb
user data
0

XOR

tc
chipping
sequence
01101010110101

Disadvantages

=
resulting
signal

precise power control necessary

01101011001010

tb: bit period

tc: chip period
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

MC SS02

2.9

FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) I

Discrete changes of carrier frequency

sequence of frequency changes determined via pseudo random number

sequence

Two versions

Fast Hopping:
several frequencies per user bit
Slow Hopping:
several user bits per frequency

Advantages

frequency selective fading and interference limited to short period

simple implementation
uses only small portion of spectrum at any time

Disadvantages

not as robust as DSSS

simpler to detect

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen H. Schiller

2002

MC SS02

2.10

2.5

Freie Universitt Berlin

Computer Systems & Telematics

Mobile Communications
Chapter 2: Wireless Transmission

End

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen H. Schiller

2002

MC SS02

2.11

2.6