A radio-coverage prediction model in wireless communication systems based on physical optics and the physical theory of diffraction [Wireless Corner]

In this paper, a two-dimensional (2D) simulation method for the calculation of radio coverage in urban-area sites is presented, based on the analytical methods of physical optics (PO) and the physical theory of diffraction (PTD). The method takes into account the electromagnetic field at the receiving antenna due to first- and higher-order propagation mechanisms. Emphasis is given on the computation of the scattered near or Fresnel-zone field using numerical techniques, since in a typical urban environment, the scattered near or Fresnel-zone field occupies a large percentage of the area under investigation. The high resolution radio-coverage plots are computed by complex vector addition of all of the received signals for several values of the channel parameters. Finally, a comparison of the radio-coverage results obtained through this method with the corresponding results based on different electromagnetic methods and measurements, previously published in the literature, is presented.