MIMO capacity calculation and fading estimation for indoor/outdoor wireless communication environments

This paper reports on simulation results for the MIMO capacity and fading characteristics for indoor/outdoor propagation environments. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used for the calculation of the reflection and transmission characteristics through windows and metal-framed structures and the obtained diffraction-type effects were then represented by an equivalent ray-tracing model. An integrated ray tracing code that accounts for these effects is then used to calculate MIMO capacity and Rician K-factor. The obtained results are then compared with those based on available data for Gaussian channels. In related preliminary results, it is shown that for an indoor environment with realistic walls of complex structures, the MIMO capacity and the K values are very different from those calculated based on simplified wall structures.