RF Propagation Software Basics

This page covers the basics of RF Propagation Software and mentions developers of such software. As we know, when a signal propagates from its source to the destination, it encounters path loss as well as other losses due to reflection, diffraction, and scattering.

Here are some key characteristics of RF propagation:

• Dry/flat environments exhibit different RF propagation characteristics compared to wet/hilly environments.
• Rural, less populated environments experience different propagation compared to urban, densely populated environments.
• The same location under different weather conditions will exhibit different RF propagation characteristics.

RF propagation needs to be considered by network simulation designers before planning the rollout of a cellular network. To ensure correct data reception, a sufficient SINR (Signal to Interference Noise Ratio) must be maintained.

RF propagation models are broadly divided into small-scale fading and large-scale fading.

• Small-scale propagation models characterize rapid fluctuations in received signal strength over short distances or short time durations.
• Large-scale propagation models predict the mean signal strength for a given transmitter and receiver separation distance. They are used to predict RF coverage over larger distances and for longer time periods.

Large-scale fading models include the Friis free space path loss model, the two-ray ground reflection model, and the log-distance path loss model with shadowing.

RF Propagation Software Developers

There’s a variety of RF propagation prediction software available, including options for Ham radio enthusiasts.

Here’s a listing of RF propagation software simulator providers and developers:

RF network simulators that support both small-scale and large-scale fading include GloMoSim, OpNET, NS-2, and QualNET.