A computer simulation of fading in the land mobile radio environment

• Main Author: Gladstone, K. J.
• Published: University of Bath 1979
• Subjects: 621.382
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.456739

A Major with the reception of radio in a moving vehicle is caused by the variability of the field strength. There is rarely a good direct signal path between the transmitter and the mobile and, hence, any wave received will have been scattered by the buildings and other objects in the immediate locality. After showing the complexity of this process from a proposed theoretical model this thesis continues by describing a computer simulation of the environment. The model for the simulation is based on a statistical plan of the area and the program traces the paths of the various waves arriving at the mobile. A simulation is of little use until it has been shown to be valid, within specified limitations. A series of practical field trials has been conducted in and around the City of Bath. These are fully described with emphasis on both the methods and analysis employed. A chapter containing selected results verifies the basic simulation for a wide range of different environments. The value of the simulation is demonstrated toward the end of this thesis by applying it to the Sideband diversity Scheme. Only an outline of the statistical theory is included but this is supplemented by some interesting predictions from the program. The final chapter discusses some further work that could be carried out to optimise the simulation and to apply it to further types of radio scheme.