Abstract
M.Ing.
In this thesis we investigated the characterization of wireless communication channels.
The characterization of the channel itself focused on the analog as well as the discrete domains. This was done to provide a more complete treatment than that which is usually found in the literature (which normally focuses" on either one of the domains). We also provide a discussion on the basic issues that arise when trying to characterize a wireless communication channel.
The analog characterization proceeded by means of the impulse response of the chan nel. We calculated the scattering function of the channel as well as the Delay and Doppler Power Spectra. From the wideband data we also derived the equivalent Narrowband en velope and phase and investigated the probability density functions of these.
We also implemented the GMSK modulation scheme, used in the GSM system, in software. This included a simulation of the additive white Gaussian noise channel as well as the Rayleigh fading channel, the two most common assumed models. A complete discussion is provided on this implementation.
The implementation above was used to obtain discrete channel models of GMSK on a Rayleigh fading channel. This also provided us with the opportunity to compare the performance of three of the most common discrete channel models : the Gilbert model, the Gilbert-Elliott model and the Fritchman model. Lastly we obtained equations that describe the behaviour of the Gilbert model's parameters as a function of average signal to-noise ratio.