Small aircraft cockpit electromagnetic interference due to UMTS signal propagation

This paper models the EMI generated inside the cabin of a small medium-haul aircraft from a Node B antenna providing UMTS service. This is achieved by means of a three-dimensional raytracing algorithm which, with difference from previous cabin implementations, considers the volumetric properties of the cabin furniture and their complex electromagnetic material properties, to enhance modeling accuracy via thin film optics physics. Moreover, two distinct simulations are performed with different setup configurations for the antenna locations in a study to reduce implementation costs whilst still providing sufficient coverage to all users onboard. In each scenario, the EMI field incident on the cockpit avionics panel from the Node B is analyzed.