Indoor Path Loss Modeling and Measurements at 2.44 GHz

Abstract: In this thesis it is investigated to what extent it is possible to accurately model path loss in indoor environments using a simple empirical approach. Two kinds of radio access antenna deployments are investigated: 1) standard dipole antennas and 2) leaky cables. For the case of standard dipole antenna deployment, a few well established empirical models are integrated in order to account for the main observed propagation mechanisms. One important propagation mechanism is wave guiding in corridors. It has been shown that a model designed for street microcells (“The recursive model”) combined with the power law model (combined model) well describes this wave guiding propagation. Some inaccuracies have, however, been observed when the direct pathway is dominating. In this master thesis it is therefore investigated if the model accuracy may be improved by integration of the Keenan-Motley and the Devasirvatham model (modified combined model) accounting for loss due to obstructions along the direct pathway. In this work, the primary models used for the case of leaky cable antenna deployments are the Keenan-Motley model (for short distances) and the modified combined model (for large distances). In order to improve and evaluate the modeling, propagation measurements have been carried out at the 2.44 GHz band in an indoor office environment. The measurement data, i.e., the calibrated frequency response of the channel, is obtained using the network analyzer measurement technique by sweeping the frequency over a range of 80 MHz around the center frequency. Hence, the path gain measured in dB-scale is obtained as the difference between the transmitted power and the received power. The combined model and the modified combined model are evaluated and parameterized based on the conducted measurements. The accuracy of the combined model is improved by the implemented modifications. In our case, the standard deviation error is reduced from 5-19 dB to 2-4 dB. Moreover, the measurements show that using leaky cables results in a better coverage in rooms alongside the corridor compared with using dipole antennas. Also the interference into adjacent cells is reduced using leaky cables compared with using dipole antennas.