Indoor propagation of 2.4GHz radio signal propagation models and experimental results

Abstract

Having a wireless communication, indoor environment, in particular, represents unfriendly environment. Wireless sensor network applications indoors are in contrast to the mentioned fact and they are very common. Considering radio frequency signal propagation in a real environment (without bearing in mind interferences from other sources) we meet, in general, four basic phenomenon — reflection, path-loss, scattering and diffraction. Every single one impacts on the signal propagation and contributes to the path-loss and distortion at the receiver. A thorough picture of the electromagnetic wave propagation in the space can theoretically obtain the solution of Maxwell's equations. Though, this approach is computationally demanding and ineffective for the practical cases. In order to better describe the propagation of a radio frequency signal, the approximate models are used that usually base on experimental results. This paper presents case study on the indoor radio frequency signal propagation at 2.4GHz ISM Band (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) supported by the propagation models implementation and experimental results.