LTE RPESS

Radio Propagation Fundamentals

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Nokia Siemens Networks Academy

Legal notice
Intellectual Property Rights
All copyrights and intellectual property rights for Nokia Siemens Networks training
documentation, product documentation and slide presentation material, all of which
are forthwith known as Nokia Siemens Networks training material, are the exclusive
property of Nokia Siemens Networks. Nokia Siemens Networks owns the rights to
copying, modification, translation, adaptation or derivatives including any
improvements or developments. Nokia Siemens Networks has the sole right to copy,
distribute, amend, modify, develop, license, sublicense, sell, transfer and assign the
Nokia Siemens Networks training material. Individuals can use the Nokia Siemens
Networks training material for their own personal self-development only, those same
individuals cannot subsequently pass on that same Intellectual Property to others
without the prior written agreement of Nokia Siemens Networks. The Nokia Siemens
Networks training material cannot be used outside of an agreed Nokia Siemens
Networks training session for development of groups without the prior written
agreement of Nokia Siemens Networks.

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Module Objectives
After completing this module, the participant should be
able to:

Understand basic radio propagation mechanisms

Understand fading phenomena
Calculate free space loss

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Module Contents
Propagation mechanisms
Multipath And Fading
Propagation Slope And Different Environments

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Module Contents
Propagation mechanisms
Basics: deciBel (dB)
Radio channel
Reflections
Diffractions
Scattering
Multipath And Fading
Propagation Slope And Different Environments

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

deciBel (dB) Definition

Power

P
dB 10 log
P0

[ Plin. ] 10

P ( dB )

10

Voltages

E
dB 20 log
E0

Nokia Siemens Networks

[ Elin. ] 10

RA41204EN20GLA0

E ( dB )

20

deciBel (dB) Conversion

Calculations in dB (deciBel)
Logarithmic scale
always with respect to a reference
dBW =
dB above Watt
dBm =
dB above mWatt
dBi
=
dB above isotropic
dBd
=
dB above dipole
dBV/m
=
dB above V/m
Rule-of-thumb:
+3dB =
factor 2
+7 dB =
factor 5
+10 dB
=
factor 10
-3dB =
factor 1/2
-7 dB =
factor 1/5
-10 dB=
factor 1/10

Nokia Siemens Networks

LTE:
UE: max. 23 dBm
eNB: typ. 43 / 46 dBm
RA41204EN20GLA0

-30 dBm = 1 W
-20 dBm = 10 W
-10 dBm = 100 W
-7 dBm = 200 W
-3 dBm = 500 W

0 dBm = 1 mW
+3 dBm = 2 mW
+7 dBm = 5 mW
+10 dBm = 10 mW
+13 dBm = 20 mW
+20 dBm = 100mW
+30 dBm = 1 W
+40 dBm = 10W
+50 dBm = 100W

Radio Channel Main Characteristics

Linear
In field strength
Reciprocal
UL & DL channel same (if in same frequency)
Dispersive
In time (echo, multipath propagation)
In spectrum (wideband channel)

Remember:
Multipath Effects
Normal / Extended CP

direct path
amplitude

Nokia Siemens Networks

echoes

delay time

RA41204EN20GLA0

Propagation Mechanisms (1/2)

Free-space propagation
Signal strength decreases
exponentially with distance
Reflection
Specular reflection
amplitude A

a*A (a < 1)
phase f
-f
polarisation
material
dependant
phase shift
Diffuse reflection
amplitude A
1)
phase f
polarisation
9

Nokia Siemens Networks

a *A (a <

random phase
random
RA41204EN20GLA0

specular reflection

diffuse reflection

Propagation Mechanisms (2/2)

Absorption
Heavy amplitude

attenuation
Material dependant
phase shifts
Depolarisation

Diffraction
Wedge - model
Knife edge
Multiple knife edges

10

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

A - 5..30 dB

Scattering Macrocell

Scattering local to mobile

Causes fading
Scattering to base stati
Small delay and angle spreads
Doppler spread causes time
varying effects
Scattering local to base station
No additional Doppler spread
Small delay spread
Large angle spread
Scattering to mobile
Remote scattering
Independent path fading
No additional Doppler spread
Large delay spread
Large angle spread
Remote scattering

11

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Scattering Microcell
Many local scatterers: Large angle spread
Low delay spread
Medium or high Doppler spread

12

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Module Contents
Reflections, Diffractions And Scattering
Multipath and Fading
Delay Time dispersion
Angle Angular Spread
Frequency Doppler Spread
Fading Slow & Fast
Propagation Slope And Different Environments

13

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Multipath propagation
Radio signal propagates from A to B over multiple paths using
different propagation mechanisms
Multipath Propagation
Received signal is a sum of multipath signals
Different radio paths have different properties
Distance Delay/Time
Direction Angle
Direction & Receiver/Transmitter Movement Frequency

14

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Delay Time dispersion

Multipath delays due to multipath propagation
1 s 300 m path difference
LTE CP to mitigate multipath effects
CP (normal or extended) covers some 1.4 km or 20 km delay
respectively
Standardized delay profiles in 3GPP specs:
TU3
typical urban at 3 km/h (pedestrians)
TU50
typical urban at 50 km/h (cars)
HT100
hilly terrain (road vehicles, 100 km/h)
RA250
rural area (highways, up to 250 km/h)

15

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Delay Spread
Multipath
propagation

1.

Channel impulse
response

=>

1.
2.

2.

3. 4.
t

f1

4th floor

f1

3rd floor

f1

2nd floorDAS

f1

1st floor

Delayed components in

BTS

16

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

(Distributed antenna
systems)

Delay Spread
Typical values

17

Nokia Siemens Networks

Environment

Delay Spread (s)

Macrocellular,
urban
Macrocellular,
suburban
Macrocellular, rural

0.5-3

Macrocellular, HT

3-10

Microcellular

< 0.1

Indoor

0.01...0.1

0.5
0.1-0.2

RA41204EN20GLA0
HT: hilly terrain

Angle Angular Spread

Angular spread arises due to multipath, both from local scatterers near
the mobile and near the base station and remote scatterers
Angular spread is a function of base station location, distance and
environment
Angular Spread has an effect mainly on the performance of diversity
reception and adaptive antennas

18

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Angular Spread
Macrocell Antenna

Macrocellular Environment
= Macrocell Coverage Area

Microcell Antenna
Microcellular Environment
= Microcell Coverage Area

5 - 10 degrees in macrocellular environment

>> 10 degrees in microcellular environment
< 360 degrees in indoor environment

19

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Frequency Doppler Spread

With a moving transmitter or receiver, the frequency observed by the
receiver will change (Doppler effect)
Rise if the distance on the radio path is decreasing
Fall if the distance in the radio path is increasing
The difference between the highest and the lowest frequency shift is called
Doppler spread

v
v
fd
c
v:
c:
f:

20

Speed of receiver (m/s)

Speed of light (3*108 m/s)
Frequency (Hz)

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Fading
Fading describes the variation of the total pathloss ( signal level) when
receiver/transmitter moves in the cell coverage area
Fading is commonly categorised to two categories based on the
phenomena causing it
Slow fading: Caused by shadowing because of obstacles
Fast fading: Caused by multipath propagation
Time-selective fading: Short delay + Doppler
Frequency-selective fading: Long delay
Space-selective fading: Large angle

21

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Fading Slow & Fast

power

Rayleigh
fading

+20 dB

lognormal
fading

mean
value

- 20 dB

2 sec

22

Nokia Siemens Networks

4 sec

RA41204EN20GLA0

6 sec time

Slow Fading Gaussian Distribution

Measurement campaigns have shown that slow fading follows Gaussian
distribution
Received signal strength in dB scale (e.g. dBm, dBW)
Gaussian distribution is described by mean value m, standard deviation
68% of values are within m
95% of values are within m 2
Gaussian distribution used in planning margin calculations

23

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

122

Slow Fading Gaussian Distribution

Normal / Gaussian Distribution
Standard Deviation, =7 dB
0.07000

0.06000

Normal / Gaussian Distribution

0.05000

0.04000

0.03000

0.02000

0.01000

0.00000
-25
24

-20

Nokia Siemens Networks

-15

-10

-5

0
RA41204EN20GLA0

10

15

20

25

Fast Fading
Different signal paths interfere and affect the received signal
Rice Fading the dominant (usually LOS) path exist

Rayleigh Fading no dominant path exist

25

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Fast Fading Rayleigh Distribution

It can be theoretically shown that fast fading follows Rayleigh Distribution
when there is no single dominant multipath component
Applicable to fast fading in obstructed paths
Valid for signal level in linear scale (e.g. mW, W)

level (dB)
+10
0
-10
-20
-30
0

5m

920 MHz
v = 20 km/h
26

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Fast Fading Rician Distribution

Fast fading follows Rician distribution when there is a dominant multipath
component, for example line-of-sight component combined with in-direct
components
Sliding transition between Gaussian and Rayleigh
Rice-factor K = r/A: direct / indirect signal energy
K=0
Rayleigh
K >>1
Gaussian
K=0
(Rayleigh)
K=1
K=5

27

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Module Contents
Reflections, Diffractions And Scattering
Multipath And Fading
Propagation Slope And Different Environments
Free Space Loss
Received power with antenna gain
Propagation slope

28

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

Free Space Loss

Free space loss proportional to 1/d2
Simplified case: isotropic antenna
Which part of total radiated power is found within surface A?
Power density S = P/A = P / 4 d2
Received power within surface A : P = P/A * A
Received power reduces with square of distance

Surface A = 4 * d2
d
assume surface
A= 1m2

A
d

A = 4*A

2d
4d

29

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0

A = 16*A

Received power with antenna gain

Ps
Gs
Power density at the receiving endS
2
4 d

GR
4
2

Effective receiver antenna area

Aeff

Received power

Pr Aeff S

Nokia Siemens Networks

Pr

G s Gr

Ps
4 d

Pr
Ar
Gr

Ps
As
Gs

30

RA41204EN20GLA0

Propagation slope
The received power equation can be formulated as:

Pr Ps Gs Gr C d
where

C is a constant
is the slope factor

31

C
4

Free space = 2
Practical propagation = 2.5 ... 5

Nokia Siemens Networks

RA41204EN20GLA0