A simulation method for bit-error-rate-performance estimation for arbitrary angle of arrival channel models

In this paper, a model for performing bit-error-rate (BER) analysis of various channel models is presented. Traditional simulation methods model the mobile radio channel as having Rayleigh fading, and are focused on the fluctuation of the amplitude of the received signal. Modern spatial models include information such as the angle of arrival of the incoming signals, the time-delay spread, and the number of multipath components. A simulation tool is developed that exploits the spatial statistical characteristics of the channel in order to derive estimates of the expected BER performance. The specific case of the geometrically based single-bounce elliptical model (GBSBEM) is presented and compared to the Rayleigh model. The impact of the employment of antenna arrays at the receiver is also examined. The possibility of determining the BER performance of communication systems, assuming arbitrary channel models, is justified.