20 ray-tracing model for indoor radio propagation at millimetre frequencies, and the study of diversity techniques

A deterministic approach to model radio propagation channels in complex environments and use the model to study diversity techniques is described. The simulation is based on geometric optics and uses ray tracing techniques. The effects of all rectangular obstacles are considered by the model. Both reflection and refraction effects are taken into account. Simulation results are presented and the reliability of these results is examined by comparing them with those obtained from measurements at 60 GHz. Also it is shown that it is possible to minimise the simulation time of the model by an appropriate choice of cell size. The model is seen to be able to investigate delay spread in an environment in considerable detail. The performance of space, frequency and polarisation diversity is investigated by use of the model. The results show that space diversity is better than polarisation or frequency diversity in the environments examined.