Discrete Environment-Driven GPU-Based Ray Launching: Validation and Applications

In this work, the Discrete, Environment-Driven Ray Launching (DED-RL) algorithm, which makes use of parallelization on Graphic Processing Units, fully described in a previous paper, has been validated versus a large set of measurements to evaluate its performance in terms of both computational efficiency and accuracy. Three major urban areas have been considered, including a very challenging scenario in central San Francisco that was used as a benchmark to test an image-ray tracing algorithm in a previous work. Results show that DED-RL is as accurate as ray tracing, despite the much lower computation time, reduced by more than three orders of magnitude with respect to ray tracing. Moreover, the accuracy level only marginally depends on discretization pixel size, at least for the considered pixel size range. The unprecedented computational efficiency of DED-RL opens the way to numerous applications, ranging from RF coverage optimization of drone-aided cellular networks to efficient fingerprinting localization applications, as briefly discussed in the paper.

Researching on the Deterministic Channel Models for Urban Microcells Considering Diffraction Effects

Deterministic channel models, such as the three-dimensional (3D) ray launching method, can yield wireless channel parameters. In the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation, the outdoor 3D ray launching method that considers diffraction effects is more accurate than the one that does not. While considering the diffraction effect, obtaining the diffraction point is challenging. This paper proposed a method for determining diffracted rays using the receiving sphere method in 3D ray launching. The diffraction point is determined using the shortest distance method between two straight lines, and the signal loss from the transmitting to receiving antennas is obtained. Furthermore, experiments on a millimeter wave in a microcell scenario were performed. The test results of the wireless channel parameters were compared with theoretical calculations. The results obtained via the 3D ray launching method that only considers the specular reflection and direct rays agree with the experimental results in the line-of-sight (LOS); furthermore, they generate larger errors compared with the experimental results in the NLOS. The results obtained via the 3D ray launching method that considers the direct ray, reflected rays, and diffracted rays agree with the experimental results both in the LOS and NLOS. Therefore, the 3D ray launching method that considers the diffraction effect can improve the prediction accuracy of the millimeter wave channel parameters in a microcell.

A Comparative Study of the Computation Efficiency of a GPU-Based Ray Launching Algorithm for UAV-Assisted Wireless Communications

Graphics Processing Units (GPU), have opened up new opportunities for speeding up general-purpose parallel computing applications. In this paper, we present the computation efficiency in terms of time performances of a novel ray launching field prediction algorithm which relies on NVIDIA GPUs and its Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). The software tool assesses the propagation losses between a wireless transmitter - carried by an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) - over a 3D urban environment. Together with other effective features, the software tool is shown to reduce by several orders of magnitude the computation time of simulations. Performances and cost-benefit analysis of three different NVIDIA GPU configurations are thus investigated over three different urban scenarios, taken as test-cases for Air-to-Ground (A2G) communications for 5G applications and beyond.

New Features in Feko and WinProp 2019

This paper describes some of the latest features in the commercial electromagnetic software Feko (including WinProp). These include the modeling of non-ideal cable shield connections, the parallel direct adaptive cross approximation (ACA) solver, edge and wedge diffraction for the ray launching geometrical optics (RL-GO) solver, and several new features related to automotive radar.

Implementation of a WSN-Based IIoT Monitoring System within the Workshop of a Solar Protection Curtains Company

Nowadays, the implementation of automated manufacturing processes within a wide variety of industrial environments is not understood without the Industry 4.0 concept and the context-aware possibilities given by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In this sense, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) play a key role due to their inherent mobility, ease of deployment and maintenance, scalability and low power consumption, among others. This work proposes the deployment and optimization of a WSN in the facilities of the Galeo Enrollables Company, located in Navarre (Spain), in order to optimize the manufacturing processes of technical curtains. For that purpose, radio propagation measurements as well as 3D Ray Launching simulations have been performed in order to characterize the wireless channel of this harsh industrial environment. Then, low cost sensors and actuators have been selected to prepare different wireless motes in order to deploy them on different machines/workstations present within the scenario. The information gathered by the motes is then transmitted to a central node, which conditions the data for input into the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

Implementation of a WSN-Based IIoT Monitoring System within the Workshop of a Solar Protection Curtains Company

Nowadays, the implementation of automated manufacturing processes within a wide variety of industrial environments is not understood without the Industry 4.0 concept and the context-aware possibilities given by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In this sense, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) play a key role due to their inherent mobility, ease of deployment and maintenance, scalability and low power consumption, among others. This work proposes the deployment and optimization of a WSN in the facilities of the Galeo Enrollables Company, located in Navarre (Spain), in order to optimize the manufacturing processes of technical curtains. For that purpose, radio propagation measurements as well as 3D Ray Launching simulations have been performed in order to characterize the wireless channel of this harsh industrial environment. Then, low cost sensors and actuators have been selected to prepare different wireless motes in order to deploy them on different machines/workstations present within the scenario. The information gathered by the motes is then transmitted to a central node, which conditions the data for input into the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.