Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
RadioWavePropagation
Introduction
Radiowavesareoneformofelectromagneticradiation
Electromagneticradiationhasadualnature:
Insomecases,itbehavesaswaves
Inothercases,itbehavesasparticles(photons)
Forradiofrequenciesthewavemodelisgenerallymore
appropriate
Electromagneticwavescanbegeneratedbymanymeans,
butalltheminvolvethemovementofelectricalcharges
ElectromagneticSpectrum
ElectromagneticWaves
Electromagnetic
transmissionsmoveinspace
asTransversewaves
Wavesarecharacterizedby
frequencyandwavelength:
v f
ElectricandMagneticFields
Anelectromagneticwavepropagatingthrough
spaceconsistsofelectricandmagneticfields,
perpendicularbothtoeachotherandtothe
directionoftravelofthewave
Therelationshipbetweenelectricandmagnetic
fieldintensitiesisanalogoustotherelation
betweenvoltageandcurrentincircuits
E
Thisrelationshipisexpressedby: Z
H
PowerDensity
Powerdensityinspaceistheamountofpower
thatflowsthrougheachsquaremeterofasurface
perpendiculartothedirectionoftravel
2
E
PD
Z
PlaneandSphericalWaves
Thesimplestsourceofelectromagneticwaves
wouldbeapointinspace,withwavesradiating
equallyinalldirections.Thisiscalledan
isotropicradiator
Awavefrontthathasasurfaceonwhichallthe
wavesarethesamephasewouldbeasphere
CircularPolarization
Thepolarizationofaplanewaveissimplythedirectionofitselectric
fieldvector
Thewavecanrotateineitherdirectionitiscalledrighthandedifit
rotatesclockwise
FreeSpacePropagation
Radiowavespropagatethroughfreespaceina
straightlinewithavelocityofthespeedoflight
(300,000,000m/s)
Thereisnolossofenergyinfreespace,butthere
isattenuationduetothespreadingofthewaves
AttenuationofFreeSpace
Anisotropicradiatorwouldproducesphericalwaves
Thepowerdensityofanisotropicradiatorissimply
bethetotalpowerdividedbythesurfaceareaofthe
sphere,accordingtothesquarelaw:
Pt
PD
4 r 2
TransmittingAntennaGain
Inpracticalcommunicationsystems,itisimportanttoknow
thesignalstrengthatthereceiverinput
Itdependsonthetransmitterpowerandthedistancefromthe
transmittertothereceiver,butalsouponthetransmittingand
receivingantennas
Twoimportantantennacharacteristicsare:
Gainforthetransmittingantenna
Effectiveareaforthereceivingantenna
Antennasaresaidtohavegaininthosedirectionsinwhich
themostpowerisradiated
ReceivingAntennaGain
Areceivingantennaabsorbssomeoftheenergy
fromradiowavesthatpassit
Alargerantennareceivesmorepowerthana
smallerantenna(inrelationtosurfacearea)
Receivingantennasareconsideredtohavegain
justastransmittingantennasdo
Thepowerextractedfromareceivingantennaisa
functionofitsphysicalsizeanditsgain
PathLoss
Freespaceattenuationistheratioofreceived
powertotransmittedpower
Thedecibelgainbetweentransmitterandreceiver
isnegative(loss)andthelossfoundthiswayis
calledfreespacelossorpathloss
Reflection,Refraction,andDiffraction
Thesethreepropertiesaresharedbylightand
radiowaves
Forbothreflectionandrefraction,itisassumed
thatthesurfacesinvolvedaremuchlargerthanthe
wavelength;ifnot,diffractionwilloccur
Reflection
Reflectionofwavesfromasmoothsurface(specular
reflection)resultsintheangleofreflectionbeingequaltothe
angleofincidence
OtherTypesofReflection