An Open Framework to Model Diffraction by Dynamic Blockers in Millimeter Wave Simulations

TL;DR

The paper addresses the challenge of modeling dynamic mmWave blockage by proposing an open-source Blockage Manager that post-processes ray-trace outputs to insert moving blockers and apply diffraction-based models. It interfaces directly with an open RF ray-tracing tool (qd-realization) and supports multiple diffraction formalisms (e.g., METIS, DKED, DKED+PC, ITU-R P.526) and mobility patterns. The key contribution is a modular, self-contained framework that enables rapid exploration of how dynamic blockers affect link-level and network-level performance without re-running full ray tracing. The work demonstrates the approach through static and dynamic scenarios, highlighting significant discrepancies between obstruction-only and diffraction-aware models and underscoring the need for diffraction-aware blockage modeling in mmWave simulations.

Abstract

The millimeter wave (mmWave) band will be exploited to address the growing demand for high data rates and low latency. The higher frequencies, however, are prone to limitations on the propagation of the signal in the environment. Thus, highly directional beamforming is needed to increase the antenna gain. Another crucial problem of the mmWave frequencies is their vulnerability to blockage by physical obstacles. To this aim, we studied the problem of modeling the impact of second-order effects on mmWave channels, specifically the susceptibility of the mmWave signals to physical blockers. With respect to existing works on this topic, our project focuses on scenarios where mmWaves interact with multiple, dynamic blockers. Our open source software includes diffraction-based blockage models and interfaces directly with an open source Radio Frequency (RF) ray-tracing software.

Figures (7)

• Figure 1: geometry.
• Figure 2: Comparison between the implemented models using a carrier frequency of 60 GHz.
• Figure 3: Comparison of the implemented models at different frequencies.
• Figure 4: Static scenario including second-order reflections.
• Figure 5: Dynamic scenario