Channel Modeling Approach Based on the Concept of Degradation Level Discrete-Time Markov Chain: UWB System Case Study

In this work an approach to obtain an accurate high level channel model based on Discrete-Time Markov Chain, useful in some simulation context, is provided. In particular, this model is based on the concept of error trace analysis and on the degradation level of given observation windows: an observation window is fixed and the degradation level of the link, the Packet Error Rate (PER) relative to the specific window, is evaluated. This approach is useful for any wireless transmission scheme, but in our work, we apply it to the Ultra Wideband (UWB) system. Many researchers have already treated UWB channel modeling. However, to the best of our knowledge, all the proposed channel models work at the physical level investigating only some aspects of channel interaction. It has been shown through a comparative analysis, based on the occurrence of correctly and wrongly received packets, that the degradation level approach is more accurate than the classic Gilbert-Elliot model, the 3rd order Markov model and the Markov-based Trace Analysis (MTA) model.