Urban peer-to-peer MIMO channel measurements and analysis at 300 MHz

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems operating at frequencies in the upper VHF and lower UHF region is attractive for peer-to-peer communication applications where robustness is of high importance, e.g., in tactical networks and emergency response systems. When designing and evaluating such systems, knowledge of realistic propagation conditions is required. This paper presents results from an urban MIMO measurement campaign at 300 MHz. Measurements are performed along 25 receiver routes and for three fixed transmitter locations, using antenna arrays mounted on two cars. Channel characteristics and ergodic capacity for the 7 times 7 MIMO channels are extracted from the measured data. A path-loss model is derived for the measured scenario, and the distributions of the large-scale fading, the Ricean K-factor, the delay spread, and the ergodic capacity are studied in detail. The correlation distance for the different channel parameters is also examined. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that several of the channel parameters are correlated, and also have a strong correlation with the capacity.