3 – Channel modelling

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a discussion on the narrowband and wideband channel models to be used in WSAN performance assessment. Narrowband channels are regarded as physical layer standard at 2.4 GHz industrial scientific medical bands, deployed in different environments. The ultimate performance limits of a wireless communication system, as well as the performance of practical systems, are determined by the channel in which it operates. Realistic channel models are thus of utmost importance for system design and testing. Many works in the WSAN scientific literature assume deterministic distance-dependent and threshold-based packet capture models. All nodes within a circle centered at the transmitter, with given radius, can receive a packet sent by the transmitting one; if a receiver is outside the circle, reception is impossible. The threshold-based capture model, which assumes that a packet is captured if the signal-to-noise ratio is above a given threshold, is a good approximation of real capture effects. The deterministic channel model does not represent realistic situations in most cases. The use of realistic channel models is therefore of paramount importance in wireless systems.