Ultra-wide bandwidth communication channel analysis using 3-D ray tracing

Abstract

A true 3-D ray tracing model has been developed for UWB propagation in a typical modern office. A time domain approach is used to determine all dominant paths by which radiation radiates from a transmitter to a receiving site. The number of rays that have to be considered can then be dramatically reduced for subsequent analyses. The properties of received power and delay spread as well as angle of arrival are presented. Each dominant path could then be represented by a function with these properties. Predictions of received waveform are produced by convolving a typical input UWB pulse with these functions. Hence, different input pulse characteristics can be applied to the transmit antenna and the receiver characteristics rapidly evaluated. The model also gives the transmission direction for each successful ray, which is difficult to measure in reality but essential to build the smart antenna.