Simulating the Multipath Channel With a Reverberation Chamber: Application to Bit Error Rate Measurements

Abstract

We illustrate the use of the reverberation chamber to simulate fixed wireless propagation environments including effects such as narrowband fading and Doppler spread. These effects have a strong impact on the quality of the wireless channel and the ability of a receiver to decode a digitally modulated signal. Different channel characteristics such as power delay profile and RMS delay spread are varied inside the chamber by incorporating various amounts of absorbing material. In order to illustrate the impact of the chamber configuration on the quality of a wireless communication channel, bit error rate measurements are performed inside the reverberation chamber for different loadings, symbol rates, and paddle speeds; the results are discussed. Measured results acquired inside a chamber are compared with those obtained both in an actual industrial environment and in an office.