Modeling VHF air-to-ground multipath propagation channel and analyzing channel characteristics and BER performance

In this paper, a VHF air-to-ground multipath propagation channel model is proposed and channel characteristics and BER performance are analyzed. A tapped-delay line filter model with time-varying coefficients is used to model the channel. The taps represent signals with delay corresponding to their relative propagation time. Each delayed signal is modulated in amplitude and phase by independent baseband random functions of time that produces Rayleigh fading. Doppler frequency shift is also incorporated in the channel model. Channel characteristics are analyzed in terms of power delay profile, Doppler frequency shift and burst error occurrence probability. Finally, BER performance of the channel is analyzed using computer simulation and effect of interleaving and error correcting code on the performance is observed.