Site-Specific Outdoor Propagation Assessment and Ray-Tracing Analysis for Wireless Digital Twins

TL;DR

A digital twin platform is developed to simulate and analyze how factors such as building position, base station placement, and antenna design influence wireless propagation and interactions in urban environments, and gains valuable insights into optimizing wireless deployment strategies.

Abstract

Digital twinning is becoming increasingly vital in the design and real-time control of future wireless networks by providing precise cost-effective simulations, predictive insights, and real-time data integration. This paper explores the application of digital twinning in optimizing wireless communication systems within urban environments, where building arrangements can critically impact network performances. We develop a digital twin platform to simulate and analyze how factors such as building positioning, base station placement, and antenna design influence wireless propagation. The ray-tracing software package of Matlab is compared with Remcom Wireless InSite. Using a realistic radiation pattern of a base transceiver station (BTS) antenna, ray tracing simulations for signal propagation and interactions in urban landscapes are then extensively examined. By analyzing radio heat maps alongside antenna patterns, we gain valuable insights into optimizing wireless deployment strategies. This study highlights the potential of digital twinning as a critical tool for urban planners and network engineers.

Figures (7)

• Figure 1: (a) Google Earth Pro's zoom-in on the highlighted area which is meant to be imported into the ray-tracers. (b) Extracted area from OpenStreetMap by MATLAB which also shows the LoS (green) and NLoS (red) links between the transmitter and the receivers along a route. (c) The extracted model using Blosm which is imported into Wireless InSite; the 3D CAD model of the buildings and trees as well as the Tx antenna's radiation pattern and Rx antennas' route are also shown.
• Figure 2: Different LODs and their complexity in the CityGML standard.
• Figure 3: CST Simulation setup and the Far-field pattern for the designed tri-sectoral BTS antenna (a) 3D pattern (b) 2D cut in the azimuth plane for $\theta=90^{\circ}$.
• Figure 4: RSS along the chosen route predicted by both Matlab and Wireless InSite for the empty parking lot. The predictions for the added three building options shown with colored dashed lines were only made using Wireless InSite.
• Figure 5: Maximum heights of the buildings (a) in the surrounding area of the empty parking lot in front of Chalmers' E2 department and (b) alternative $1$, (c) alternative $3$, and (d) alternative $5$ of the three building layouts suggested by a recent study gonzalez2024towards to fit into the parking space.