Microcellular propagation modeling including antenna pattern and polarization

In digital radio channels, where multipath propagation takes place, antenna polarization and radiation pattern influence important channel parameters such as the received power and the delay spread. To study these effects in an urban microcellular propagation environment, a ray tracing three dimensional model has been developed. The buildings and ground are characterized as dielectric planar surfaces. Each ray can suffer multiple reflections and/or diffractions that are analyzed using geometrical optics and the uniform theory of diffraction (UTD). Both transmitter and receiver antenna patterns and polarization are included in the model. This requires to calculate the electric field direction along the whole ray tracing process.