Impact of Propagation Path Loss by Varying BTS Height and Frequency for Combining Multiple Path Loss Approaches in Macro-Femto Environment

Abstract

Propagation path loss estimation is an important constraint in the design and implementation of 4G wireless networks. When the radio frequency signal is communicated through different areas and received at the receiving end, it just decays. This diminution is called propagation path loss. In the design of wireless linkage transmission, the consideration of path loss plays a significant role. Several multipath mechanisms, such as reflection, diffraction, absorption, scattering, and atmospheric conditions, can produce strong attenuation of radio signals. In this paper, a path loss is calculated for SISO, SIMO, and MIMO infrastructure by varying transmitter antenna height at 900, 1800, and 2100\xa0MHz frequency bands. Moreover, the path loss is executed for LOS and NLOS arrays using multiple path loss approaches. Reflection losses are investigated through the brute force method of ray tracing. Also, Epstein–Peterson approach was used to calculate diffraction losses. The summation of all the losses estimates path loss for single-input single-output (SISO), single-input multiple-output (SIMO), and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas low-loss model infrastructure at 900, 1800, and 2100\xa0MHz frequency bands. By varying base station (B.S.) antenna height and a fixed mobile station (M.S.) height of 1.5\xa0m, the MATLAB simulations show no remarkable change in the path losses for SISO infrastructure. However, a heat map’s intensity shows that path loss varies by varying base station (B.S.) antenna height for SIMO infrastructure and the optimized transmitter height for 41\xa0m at 900, 1800 2100\xa0MHz bands. Also, the height of transmitter arrays in MIMO is 32\xa0m, along with the same data are thrown from it. MIMO simulation results show maximum efficiency at the height of 1.5\xa0m in building 2 compared to the SIMO infrastructure. Moreover, the heatmap bar indicates that path loss will be minimum at the top of the heatmap bar and maximum at the bottom. The maximum power received at the top of the bar in dBm significantly impacts the throughput and response time of a wireless link.