Alberto S. Bañacia, Rosana J. Ferolin
A comprehensive link budget analysis for outdoor IEEE 802.11af-based networks has not been available to date. This analysis is essential for planning and developing highly reliable wireless links. This paper determines path loss measurements - based on the link budget for the IEEE 802.11af - compliant devices at 593 MHz for three different sites in a suburban environment. Google Earth Pro visualizes an unobstructed line-of-sight between the AP - STA pair. Additionally, the 1st Fresnel zone and its 60% clearance around the line-of-sight are carefully considered and analyzed to ensure effective transmission in uneven terrain. According to the study’s findings, the calculated link budget aligns reasonably well with the actual measurements taken when the Log-regression path loss model is used. The calculated fade margin differences between the measured and computed values in dB are 2 for Site 1, 2 for Site 2, and 7 for Site 3, resulting in an average difference of 4 dB. However, based on a 20 - dB minimum fade margin, none of the computed values for the three sites can provide a reliable RF propagation link, while only the measured value of 23 dB at Site 3 can provide a reliable link. Nevertheless, a link budget improvement can be achieved if the radiated power is increased to an FCC-permitted 30 dBm. Applying the Log-regression path loss model increases the margin to 29 dB for Site 1, 24 dB for Site 2, and 26 dB for Site 3. © 2025 Seventh Sense Research Group®
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines; School of Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
