CNSE 552

Fading and its Effects

Multipath Propagation
• In wireless mobile communication systems, a signal can travel from
transmitter to receiver over multiple reflective paths
• The phenomenon is referred to as multipath propagation, and it can
cause fluctuations in the received signal’s amplitude, phase and
angle of arrival.
• Also, the signal suffers from reflection, scattering, intersymbol
interference and weather conditions
• The signal attenuation through the path depends on various factors.
They are time, radio frequency and path or position of
transmitter/receiver. The channel between transmitter and receiver
can be time varying or fixed depending upon whether the
transmitter/receiver are fixed or moving with respect to each other.
Multipath Propagation
Fading
• The time variation of received signal power due to changes in
transmission medium or paths is known as fading.
• Fading depends on various factors.
• In fixed scenario, fading depends on atmospheric conditions
such as rainfall, lightening etc.
• In mobile scenario, fading depends on obstacles over the path
which are varying with respect to time.
• These obstacles create complex transmission effects to the
transmitted signal.
Fading
Large-scale Fading
• Large scale fading occurs when an obstacle comes in between
transmitter and receiver. This interference type causes
significant amount of signal strength reduction.
• This is because EM wave is shadowed or blocked by the
obstacle. It is related to large fluctuations of the signal over
distance
• This includes path loss and shadowing effects
Path loss and Shadowing
• Path loss is caused by dissipation of the power radiated by the
transmitter
𝑃𝑡 4𝜋𝑑2
= 2
𝑃𝑟 𝜆
• The equation implies that transmitted signal attenuates over
distance as the signal is being spread over larger and larger area
from the transmit end towards receive end
• Shadowing is caused by obstacles between the transmitter and
receiver that absorb power. It is a deviation of the received
power of the signal from the average value
Small Scale Fading
• Small scale fading is concerned with rapid fluctuations of
received signal strength over very short distance and short time
period
• Due to multipath delay spread (a measure of the multipath
richness of a communication channel), there are two types of
small scale fading viz. flat fading and frequency selective
fading.
• These multipath fading types depend on propagation
environment.
Multipath delay spread phenomenon
Flat Fading
• The wireless channel is said to be flat fading if it has constant gain
and linear phase response over a bandwidth which is greater than
the bandwidth of the transmitted signal.
• In this type of fading all the frequency components of the received
signal fluctuate in same proportions simultaneously. It is also known
as non-selective fading.
• Signal BW << Channel BW
• Symbol period >> Delay Spread
• The effect of flat fading is seen as decrease in SNR. These flat fading
channels are known as amplitude varying channels or narrowband
channels.
• An advantage is that there is no ISI.
Frequency Selective Fading
• It affects different spectral components of a radio signal with
different amplitudes. Hence the name selective fading.
• Signal BW > Channel BW
• Symbol period < Delay Spread
• Based on doppler spread (widening of the spectrum of a
narrow-band signal transmitted through a multipath
propagation channel) there are two types of fading viz. fast
fading and slow fading.
• These doppler spread fading types depend on mobile speed i.e.
speed of receiver with respect to transmitter.
• An advantage is an improved average gain
Fast Fading
• The phenomenon of fast fading is represented by rapid
fluctuations of signal over small areas (i.e. bandwidth). When
the signals arrive from all the directions in the plane, fast fading
will be observed for all directions of motion.
• In fast fading, the receive signal is a sum of numerous signals
which are reflected from various surfaces. This signal is sum or
difference of multiple signals which can be constructive or
destructive based on relative phase shift between them.
• Phase relationships depend on speed of motion, frequency of
transmission and relative path lengths.
Slow Fading
• Slow fading is result of shadowing by buildings, hills,
mountains and other objects over the path.
• Slow fading results in a loss of SNR. Error correction coding
and receiver diversity techniques are used to overcome effects
of slow fading.
Parameters of Mobile Multipath
Channels
• Coherence bandwidth – range of frequencies over which the
signal strength remains more or less unchanged (flat)
• Coherence time – the time duration over which the channel
impulse response is considered to be not varying
• Doppler spread
• Time spread – the difference between the time of arrival of the
earliest component (e.g., the line-of-sight wave if there exists)
and the time of arrival of the latest multipath component.
Classification of Small Scale Fading
Channels