Skip to main content

Fading : Slow & Fast and Large & Small Scale Fading (with MATLAB Code + Simulator)



LARGE SCALE FADING

The term 'Large scale fading' is used to describe variations in received signal power over a long distance, usually just considering shadowing. Assume that a transmitter (say, a cell tower) and a receiver  (say, your smartphone) are in constant communication. Take into account the fact that you are in a moving vehicle. An obstacle, such as a tall building, comes between your cell tower and your vehicle's line of sight (LOS) path. Then you'll notice a decline in the power of your received signal on the spectrogram. Large-scale fading is the term for this type of phenomenon.


SMALL SCALE FADING

 Small scale fading is a term that describes rapid fluctuations in the received signal power on a small time scale. This includes multipath propagation effects as well as movement-induced Doppler frequency shifts. The statistics of small scale fading in industrial contexts can be described as Rician fading, and the Rician K-factor values for various factory conditions were estimated. We're talking abut the industrial environment and the Rician k-factor because there's a lot more signal reflection and refraction than in other contexts or environments. 

Rayleigh fading is a perfect example of small-scale fading because it models rapid variations in signal amplitude due to multipath propagation without a dominant direct path. Rayleigh fading captures variations that occur over short times or distances, typically on the order of the wavelength of the signal. Here, The signal's amplitude varies randomly according to a Rayleigh distribution, with fluctuations that are typical of small-scale fading.


Slow fading

Because of the Doppler shift. When the signal bandwidth is much lesser than the Doppler spread. Slow fading occurs when the channel changes faster than the modulated symbol rate. What causes the channel to change? Doppler shift is responsible for that. Go through the formula of Doppler shift. 


Fast fading

Because of Doppler shift, particularly when the Doppler spread is equal to or larger than the signal bandwidth. The additive or subtractive nature of waveforms with varying phases can also produce fast fading. In simpler words, fast fading occurs when the channel changes faster than the modulated symbol rate.


Effect of Muiti-path Fading on the Alamouti Scheme in 2x1 MIMO Communication






Effect of Minimal Fading on the Alamouti Scheme in 2x1 MIMO Communication with an Ideal Channel






Copy the MATLAB Code above from here



Further Reading

  1.  Flat fading versus Frequency selective fading
  2. Frequency Selective Fading Online Simulator
  3. Flat vs Frequency Selective Fading Online Simulator 
     
     
  4.  Impact of Rayleigh Fading and AWGN on Digital Communication Systems
  5. Rayleigh vs Rician Fading
  6.  Doppler Shift
  7.  
    Fading Online Simulator (Rayleigh, Rician, Nakagami, and Doppler)



Contact Us

Name

Email *

Message *

Popular Posts

MATLAB Code for Constellation Diagram of QAM configurations such as 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256-QAM

📘 Overview of QAM 🧮 4-QAM MATLAB 🧮 16-QAM MATLAB 🚀 Online Simulator 📂 Other Topics on Constellation Diagrams... ▼ 🧮 MATLAB Code for 4-QAM 🧮 MATLAB Code for 16-QAM 🧮 MATLAB Code for m-ary QAM 🧮 Simulator for m-ary PSK 🧮 Simulator for m-ary QAM 🧮 Overview of Energy per Bit (Eb / N0) 🧮 Simulator for ASK, FSK, and PSK Overview of QAM One of the best-performing modulation techniques is QAM [↗] . Here, we modulate the symbols by varying the carrier signal's amplitude and phase in response to the variation in the message signal (or voltage variation). So, we may say that QAM is a combination of phase and amplitude modulation. Additionally, it performs better than ASK or PSK [↗] . In fact, any constellation for any type of modulatio...

UGC NET Electronic Science Previous Year Question Papers with Solutions

Download Papers and Solutions Exam Pattern Preparation Tips FAQs More Home / Engineering & Other Exams / UGC NET 2026 PYQ 📊 Exam Highlights: Electronic Science (88) Feature Details Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) ₹37,000 + HRA per month Eligibility M.Sc/M.Tech in Electronics (55%) Validity of Certificate JRF (3 Years) | Lectureship (Lifetime) 📥 Download UGC NET Electronics PDFs Complete collection of previous year question papers, answer keys and explanations for Subject Code 88. Start Downloading 📂 View All Question Papers June 2026 - Question Paper Download PDF June 202...

GMSK BER vs SNR (with Simulation)

  GMSK Performance: Why the BER vs. SNR Curve Matters If you’ve ever wondered why GMSK (Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying) became the backbone of the global GSM revolution, the answer lies in its unique balance of spectral efficiency and power performance. But there is no free lunch in engineering. To get that sleek, narrow spectrum, you have to pay a price in Bit Error Rate (BER) . In this guide, we break down the theoretical BER vs. SNR performance of GMSK, the "magic" of the BT product, and how to optimize your link budget for real-world conditions. What is GMSK and Why Should You Care? GMSK is a derivative of MSK (Minimum Shift Keying) that uses a Gaussian pre-modulation filter. This filter "smooths" the phase transitions, significantly reducing sideband power. The result? A constant envelope signal that allows you to use high-efficiency Class-C amplifiers without distorting the signal. This is the secr...

An S-band radar transmitting at 3 GHz radiates 200 kW of power. Determine the signal power density at a range of 100 ...

Q. An S-band radar transmitting at 3 GHz radiates 200 kW of power. Determine the signal power density at a range of 100 nautical miles if the effective area of the radar antenna is 9 m². Solution Given, Transmitted power: P t = 200 kW = 200,000 W Frequency: f = 3 GHz = 3 × 10⁹ Hz Range: R = 100 nautical miles Effective antenna area: A e = 9 m² Speed of light: c = 3 × 10⁸ m/s Step 1: Convert Nautical Miles to Meters One nautical mile equals 1852 meters. R = 100 × 1852 = 185200 m Step 2: Calculate the Wavelength The wavelength is calculated using the relationship between the speed of light and frequency: λ = c / f λ = (3 × 10⁸) / (3 × 10⁹) λ = 0.1 m Step 3: Calculate the Antenna Gain The relationship between effective aperture and antenna gain is: G = (4Ï€Aâ‚‘) / λ² ...

A wireless digital transmission scheme is using 16-QAM over an additive white Gaussian noise channel ...

  Given Information Modulation scheme: 16-QAM Bit rate: R b = 4 × 10 6 bits/sec Channel: Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) Receiver: Maximum-Likelihood Receiver Step 1: Calculate Bits per Symbol For M-ary QAM, the number of bits transmitted per symbol is: Bits per symbol = log 2 (M) = log 2 (16) = 4 bits/symbol Step 2: Calculate Symbol Rate Symbol rate is calculated by dividing the bit rate by the number of bits per symbol. R s = R b / log 2 (M) = (4 × 10 6 ) / 4 = 10 6 symbols/sec Step 3: Calculate Minimum Bandwidth For ideal Nyquist transmission with zero roll-off factor: B min = R s = 10 6 Hz...

Flat vs Frequency Selective Online Simulator

Flat vs Frequency Selective Online Simulator Channel Type Without Fading Flat Fading Multipaths Nakagami m SNR(dB) Run Simulation Input Signal Signal After Fading Constellation Diagram BER vs SNR Explore Advanced Flat vs Frequency-Selective Fading Simulator Want to see these equations in action? Visualize it. Launch Simulator Tool Flat Fading and Frequency-Selective Fading Effects of Multipath Components and the Nakagami-m Parameter 1. Flat Fading Flat fading occurs when the signal bandwidth is smaller than the channel's coherence bandwidth, meaning that all frequency components of the transmitted signal experience approximately the same fading. It is typically associated with narrowband signals, where the multipath delay spread is small relative to the symbol duration. ...

Quantization Signal to Noise Ratio (Q-SNR)

What is Quantization? Quantization: Quantization in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) is the process of mapping a large set of input values to a smaller set. It’s essential for converting analog signals into digital form. × Quantization Explanation For a signal varies from -8 V to +8 V, giving a total quantization range of 16 V. If the number of quantization levels is 4, the step size will be: \[ v_{\min} = -8, \quad v_{\max} = 8, \quad L = 4 \] Quantization step size: \[ \Delta = \frac{v_{\max} - v_{\min}}{L} = \frac{8 - (-8)}{4} = \frac{16}{4} = 4 \] Partition boundaries (decision levels): \[ p_0 = -8, \quad p_1 = -8 + 4 = -4, \quad p_2 = 0, \quad p_3 = 4, \quad p_4 = 8 \] Quantization codebook (reconstruction levels): \[ c_i = v_{\min} + \left(i + \frac{1}{2}\right) \Delta, \quad i = 0, 1, 2, 3 \] Calculate each codeword: \[ c_0 = -8 + \left(0 + \frac{...

Parametric Down-Conversion of Photons

  Nonlinear Optics One incoming photon is converted into two lower-energy photons, typically in a nonlinear optical medium. Energy is conserved: E in = E 1 + E 2 E in ​ = E 1 ​ + E 2 ​ . Parametric Down-Conversion A nonlinear optical process in which one pump photon is converted into two lower-energy photons, known as the signal and idler photons. 1 Energy Conservation The energy of the pump photon equals the sum of the energies of the signal and idler photons. \[ \boxed{\hbar\omega_p=\hbar\omega_s+\hbar\omega_i} \] \[ \boxed{\omega_p=\omega_s+\omega_i} \] ωₚ Pump angular frequency ...