An autoregressive approach to the identification of multipath ray parameters from field measurements

This study is concerned with using modern spectral analysis techniques to derive estimates of multipath ray parameters (delays and amplitudes) from measurements of selective fading over a wide band at microwave frequencies. The applicability of the general category of autoregressive methods is addressed, and the specific method adopted, the Prony algorithm, is described. An illustrative example in which this is applied to a typical field measurement is followed by an investigation into the capabilities and limitations of the algorithm. A statistical analysis of the method has been carried out using a database of laboratory measurements. The Prony algorithm´s ability to resolve delays to better than half the Fourier limit is shown, and its tendency to yield biased estimates is studied