A study of Rayleigh Fading Channel Models

These days, computer simulation is increasingly being used for design and performance evaluation of communication systems. When simulating a mobile wireless channel for such systems, it is usually assumed that the fading process is a random variate with Rayleigh distribution. In this paper, we have tried to understand Rayleigh Fading (which best describes the scenario inan urban or macrocell environment) better by comparing different models and observing the changes that are caused by varying different parameters. At present, there are a number of methods to generate the Rayleigh fadingprocess, some of them quite recently proposed. Due to the use of different Rayleigh fading generators, different simulations of the same communication system yield different results. Two methods, viz., the Jakes method and the Dent(Modified Jakes) method have been studied, simulated and compared based on the Rayleigh fading process properties. Various communication systems have been simulated using the Rayleigh fading generators and the differences in theresults, if any, have been analyzed. It was seen that the Dent method is usually seen to better describe a Rayleigh fading process.

Mahdin Mahboob and Sajidul Alam received their BSc. in Electronics and Communications Engineering degrees (with Minors in Computer Science) from BRAC University in 2007. They can be reached at mahdin.mahboob@gmail.com and sajidbu@gmail.com respectively. Mahdin also completed his MSc in Wireless Comms. from the University of Southampton, England.