A heuristic tool for indoor radio-wave propagation prediction

Abstract

For the effective implementation of a wireless local area network (WLAN) within a building, a complete understanding of indoor signal propagation is required. This paper compares three empirical propagation prediction models with regards to efficiency and accuracy. To achieve this, a software prediction tool was developed using C++ which allows an end user to quickly draw a building floor plan using user specified drawing materials. It also has the ability to calculate the required empirical parameters from entered measurements but this was found to produce results similar to that when theoretical empirical parameters were used. The accuracy of the prediction tool was gauged by comparing its outputs, using the different empirical models, to measurements. In doing so it was determined that two of the models produced functional levels of accuracy in which 93% and 82% of the simulated results were within 15 and 10 dB of the measured results respectively for the most accurate of the models used. All three empirical models were found to have computational times low enough, less than 5 minutes for an average building, as to allow for interactive WLAN design.