TECHNICAL

CHALLENGES ON
MICROWAVE
COMMUNICATIONS
 TECHNICAL CHALLENGES

•Multipath Propagation
•Spectrum Limitations
•Energy Limitations
•User Mobility
 MULTIPATH PROPAGATION
• The signal can get from the TX to the RX
via a number of different propagation
paths.
• In some cases, a Line Of Sight (LOS)
connection might exist between TX and
RX.
• Furthermore, the signal can get from the
TX to the RX by being reflected at or
diffracted by different Interacting Objects
(IOs) in the environment: houses,
mountains (for outdoor environments),
windows, walls, etc.
MULTIPATH PROPAGATION
 MULTIPATH PROPAGATION

•FADING
•A simple RX cannot distinguish
between the different Multi Path
Components (MPCs); it just adds
them up, so that they interfere with
each other. The interference
between them can be constructive
or destructive, depending on the
phases of the MPCs
MULTIPATH PROPAGATION
 MULTIPATH PROPAGATION

•Intersymbol Interference
• The runtimes for different MPCs are
different
• The impulse response of the channel is not
a single delta pulse but rather a sequence
of pulses (corresponding to different
MPCs), each of which has a distinct arrival
time in addition to having a different
amplitude and phase
MULTIPATH PROPAGATION
 SPECTRUM LIMITATIONS
• The spectrum available for wireless
communications services is limited, and
regulated by international agreements.
• Two approaches are used:
• regulated spectrum usage - where a single network
operator has control over the usage of the
spectrum
• unregulated spectrum - where each user can
transmit without additional control, as long as (s)he
complies with certain restrictions on the emission
power and bandwidth
 SPECTRUM LIMITATIONS
•Assigned Frequencies
• International Telecommunications Union
(ITU) - suborganization of the United Nations
which regulates the frequency assignment
for different wireless services
• Further regulations are issued by the
frequency regulators of individual countries
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in
the USA
• Association of Radio Industries and Businesses
(ARIB) in Japan
• European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) in
Europe
 SPECTRUM LIMITATIONS

•Frequency Reuse in Regulated

Spectrum
• Since spectrum is limited, the same
spectrum has to be used for different
wireless connections in different locations.
•Frequency Reuse in Unregulated
Spectrum
• In contrast to regulated spectrum, several
services use frequency bands that are
available to the general public
 LIMITED ENERGY
•the requirement to build an RX
with high sensitivity is in contrast
to the requirement of having
energy-saving signal
processing
 USER MOBILITY

• Mobility is an inherent feature of most wireless

systems, and has important consequences for
system design.
• If there is an incoming call for a certain MS
(user), the network has to know in which cell
the user is located. The first requirement is that
an MS emits a signal at regular intervals,
informing nearby BSs that it is “in the
neighborhood.”
 USER MOBILITY

•Two databanks then employ this

information:
• Home Location Register (HLR) - is a central
database that keeps track of the location
a user is currently at
• Visitor Location Register (VLR) - is a
database associated with a certain BS
that notes all the users who are currently
within the coverage area of this specific
BS.
MICROWAVE
REPEATERS
 MICROWAVE REPEATERS

•Microwave communications requires

the line-of-sight or space wave
propagation method. There are some
instances where barriers are inevitable
which cause obstructions between the
transmitter and receiver. This kind of
problem is best resolved by repeaters.
MICROWAVE
DEVICES
 MICROWAVE DEVICES
• Gunn Diode
• A microwave semiconductor device which is used as an
oscillator
• In some cases, it can be used as an amplifier
• 4GHz to 100GHz

• Impatt Diode
• Used for oscillation and amplification of the microwave length
of frequency
• 200 GHz

• Schottky Diode
• Used for rectification for microwave length of frequencies
• In some cases, it is used for switching and mixing purposes
• 3MHz to 10GHz
 MICROWAVE DEVICES
• Tunnel Diode
• Which is used for oscillation, amplification, mixing and switching
purposes
• 100GHz

• Varactor Diode
• Used in television and GM receiver circuits
• Can also be used un FM transmitter circuits
• 105GHz

• Transistors
• The conventional transistor cannot be used for microwave
frequencies because of its low efficiency and high distortion
• Field Effect Transistor (FET) is used for microwave due to its
efficient energy bands for very high frequency
 MICROWAVE DEVICES

•Integrated Circuits (IC)

•ICs can be easily
manufactured for the purpose
of microwave frequencies
MICROWAVE TUBES
INDUCTIVE OUTPUT TUBE (IOT)
KLYSTRON TUBE
REFLEX KLYSTRON TUBE
MAGNETRON TUBE
THANKS!