Statistical Characterization of the Paths in Multipath PLC Channels

Multipath phenomenon lies in the heart of power-line communication and leads to the reception of multiple replicas of the transmit signal at the receiver through various paths. Statistical knowledge of arriving paths is essential in order to evaluate performance of communication systems. First arriving path is distinguishable from the other paths in the sense that it experiences less reflection and less attenuation along its propagation path, giving it a favorable position regarding detectability. In this study, statistics of the first arriving path are initially investigated. It is shown that the first arriving path can be defined with log-Normal probability density function. It is seen that the mean of the approximating log-Normal variable decreases with an increasing number of branches between transmitter and receiver while its variance increases. The same finding is also observed when the maximum number of branches that extend out a branching node is increased. Although statistics of the first arriving path are emphasized more, statistical characterization of the other paths is discussed as well. Infinite bandwidth assumption in which all paths arriving at the receiver can be resolved is considered in the analysis. However, a brief discussion on the impact of finite bandwidth is given.