This paper presents the first sub-Terahertz (THz) statistical channel model for the indoor factory (InF) scenario based on an extensive dataset of radio propagation characterization in factory buildings at 142 GHz. The dataset is built from the radio propagation measurements conducted at 142 GHz in four diverse factories during 2021 and 2022, including 82 transmitter-receiver (TX-RX) location pairs covering propagation distances between 5 and 87 m in both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS) environments. The measurements employed rotatable directional antennas with 8° half power beam width at both TX and RX, gathering over 75,000 directional power delay profiles, which provide complete multipath delay and angular statistics. For accurate multipath temporal and angular parameter estimation, this paper introduces a novel antenna de-embedded multipath extraction (ADME) with degree-level precision. The parameters required for channel response generation are derived through distribution fitting and validated using goodness-of-fit metrics. The proposed statistical channel model is integrated into the open-source channel simulator NYUSIM. The simulated and measured channel statistics show a solid agreement with differences within one ns in root-mean-square (RMS) delay spread and within 1° RMS angular spread. This sub-THz InF statistical channel model may contribute critical insights on channel modeling development above 100 GHz within standardization bodies such as 3GPP and IEEE 802.

This paper presents sub-Terahertz (THz) channel characterization and modeling for an indoor industrial scenario based on radio propagation measurements at 142 GHz in four factories. We selected 82 transmitter-receiver (TX-RX) locations in both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS) conditions and collected over 75,000 spatial and temporal channel impulse responses. The TX-RX distance ranged from 5 to 87 m. Steerable directional horn antennas were employed at both ends and were switched between vertical and horizontal polarization. Measurements were conducted with the low RX and high RX to characterize the propagation channel for close-to-floor applications such as automated guided vehicles. Results show that the low RXs experience an average path loss increase of 10.7 dB and 6.0 dB at LOS and NLOS locations, respectively. In addition, channel enhancement measurements were conducted using a steerable large flat metal plate as a passive reflecting surface, demonstrating omnidirectional path loss reduction from 0.5 to 22 dB with a mean of 6.5 dB. This paper presents the first statistical channel characterization and path loss modeling at sub-THz frequencies, highlighting the potential for ultra-broadband factory communications in the 6G era.

This paper presents sub-Terahertz (THz) radio propagation measurements at 142 GHz conducted in four factories with various layouts and facilities to explore sub-THz wireless channels for smart factories in 6G and beyond. Here we study spatial and temporal channel responses at 82 transmitter-receiver (TX-RX) locations across four factories in the New York City area and over distances from 5 m to 85 m in both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS) environments. The measurements were performed with a sliding-correlation-based channel sounder with 1 GHz RF bandwidth with steerable directional horn antennas with 27 dBi gain and 8° half-power beamwidth at both TX and RX, using both vertical and horizontal antenna polarizations, yielding over 75,000 directional power delay profiles. Channel measurements of two RX heights at 1.5 m (high) emulating handheld devices and at 0.5 m (low) emulating automated guided vehicles (AGVs) were conducted for automated industrial scenarios with various clutter densities. Results yield the first path loss models for indoor factory (InF) environments at 142 GHz and show the low RX height experiences a mean path loss increase of 10.7 dB and 6.0 dB when compared with the high RX height at LOS and NLOS locations, respectively. Furthermore, flat and rotatable metal plates were leveraged as passive reflecting surfaces (PRSs) in channel enhancement measurements to explore the potential power gain on sub-THz propagation channels, demonstrating a range from 0.5 to 22 dB improvement with a mean of 6.5 dB in omnidirectional channel gain as compared to when no PRSs are present.

Sub-Terahertz (THz) frequencies between 100 GHz and 300 GHz are being considered as a key enabler for the sixth-generation (6G) wireless communications due to the vast amounts of unused spectrum. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) included the indoor industrial environments as a scenario of interest since Release 15. This paper presents recent sub-THz channel measurements using directional horn antennas of 27 dBi gain at 142 GHz in a factory building, which hosts equipment manufacturing startups. Directional measurements with copolarized and cross-polarized antenna configurations were conducted over distances from 6 to 40 meters. Omnidirectional and directional path loss with two antenna polarization configurations produce the gross cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) with a mean of 27.7 dB, which suggests that dual-polarized antenna arrays can provide good multiplexing gain for sub-THz wireless systems. The measured power delay profile and power angular spectrum show the maximum root mean square (RMS) delay spread of 66.0 nanoseconds and the maximum RMS angular spread of 103.7 degrees using a 30 dB threshold, indicating the factory scenario is a rich-scattering environment due to a massive number of metal structures and objects. This work will facilitate emerging sub-THz applications such as super-resolution sensing and positioning for future smart factories.

Small-cell cellular base stations are going to be used for mmWave and sub-THz communication systems to provide multi-Gbps data rates and reliable coverage to mobile users. This paper analyzes the base station coverage of sub-THz communication systems and the system performance in terms of spectral efficiency through Monte Carlo simulations for both single-cell and multi-cell cases. The simulations are based on realistic channel models derived from outdoor field measurements at 142 GHz in urban microcell (UMi) environments conducted in downtown Brooklyn, New York. The single-cell base station can provide a downlink coverage area with a radius of 200 m and the 7-cell system can provide a downlink coverage area with a radius of 400 m at 142 GHz. Using a 1 GHz downlink bandwidth and 100 MHz uplink bandwidth, the 7-cell system can provide about 4.5 Gbps downlink average data rate and 410 Mbps uplink average data rate at 142 GHz.

Sixth generation (6G) cellular systems are expected to extend the operational range to sub-Terahertz (THz) frequencies between 100 and 300 GHz due to the broad unexploited spectrum therein. A proper channel model is needed to accurately describe spatial and temporal channel characteristics and faithfully create channel impulse responses at sub-THz frequencies. This paper studies the channel spatial statistics such as the number of spatial clusters and cluster power distribution based on recent radio propagation measurements conducted at 142 GHz in an urban microcell (UMi) scenario. For the 28 measured locations, we observe one to four spatial clusters at most locations. A detailed spatial statistical multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel generation procedure is introduced based on the derived empirical channel statistics. We find that beamforming provides better spectral efficiency than spatial multiplexing in the LOS scenario due to the boresight path, and two spatial streams usually offer the highest spectral efficiency at most NLOS locations due to the limited number of spatial clusters.

Sub-Terahertz frequencies (frequencies above 100 GHz) have the potential to satisfy the unprecedented demand on data rate on the order of hundreds of Gbps for sixth-generation (6G) wireless communications and beyond. Accurate beam tracking and rapid beam selection are increasingly important since antenna arrays with more elements generate narrower beams to compensate for additional path loss within the first meter of propagation distance at sub-THz frequencies. Realistic channel models for above 100 GHz are needed, and should include spatial consistency to model the spatial and temporal channel evolution along the user trajectory. This paper introduces recent outdoor urban microcell (UMi) propagation measurements at 142 GHz along a 39 m × 12 m rectangular route (102 m long), where each consecutive and adjacent receiver location is 3 m apart from each other. The measured power delay profiles and angular power spectrum at each receiver location are used to study spatial autocorrelation properties of various channel parameters such as shadow fading, delay spread, and angular spread along the track. Compared to the correlation distances reported in the 3GPP TR 38.901 for frequencies below 100 GHz, the measured correlation distance of shadow fading at 142 GHz (3.8 m) is much shorter than the 10-13 m as specified in 3GPP; the measured correlation distances of delay spread and angular spread at 142 GHz (both 12 m) are comparable to the 7-10 m as specified in 3GPP. This result may guide the development of a statistical spatially consistent channel model for frequencies above 100 GHz in the UMi street canyon environment.

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) and sub-Terahertz (THz) frequencies are expected to play a vital role in 6G wireless systems and beyond due to the vast available bandwidth of many tens of GHz. This paper presents an indoor 3-D spatial statistical channel model for mmWave and sub-THz frequencies based on extensive radio propagation measurements at 28 and 140 GHz conducted in an indoor office environment from 2014 to 2020. Omnidirectional and directional path loss models and channel statistics such as the number of time clusters, cluster delays, and cluster powers were derived from over 15,000 measured power delay profiles. The resulting channel statistics show that the number of time clusters follows a Poisson distribution and the number of subpaths within each cluster follows a composite exponential distribution for both LOS and NLOS environments at 28 and 140 GHz. This paper proposes a unified indoor statistical channel model for mmWave and sub-Terahertz frequencies following the mathematical framework of the previous outdoor NYUSIM channel models. A corresponding indoor channel simulator is developed, which can recreate 3-D omnidirectional, directional, and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channels for arbitrary mmWave and sub-THz carrier frequency up to 150 GHz, signal bandwidth, and antenna beamwidth. The presented statistical channel model and simulator will guide future air-interface, beamforming, and transceiver designs for 6G and beyond.

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) and Terahertz (THz) will be used in the sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems, especially for indoor scenarios. This paper presents an indoor three-dimensional (3-D) statistical channel model for mmWave and sub-THz frequencies, which is developed from extensive channel propagation measurements conducted in an office building at 28 GHz and 140 GHz in 2014 and 2019. Over 15,000 power delay profiles (PDPs) were recorded to study channel statistics such as the number of time clusters, cluster delays, and cluster powers. All the parameters required in the channel generation procedure are derived from empirical measurement data for 28 GHz and 140 GHz line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. The channel model is validated by showing that the simulated root mean square (RMS) delay spread and RMS angular spread yield good agreements with measured values. An indoor channel simulation software is built upon the popular NYUSIM outdoor channel simulator, which can generate realistic channel impulse response, PDP, and power angular spectrum.

Accurate channel modeling and simulation are indispensable for millimeter-wave wideband communication systems that employ electrically- steerable and narrow beam antenna arrays. Three important channel modeling components, spatial consistency, human blockage, and outdoor-to-indoor penetration loss, were proposed in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 14 for mmWave communication system design. This paper presents NYUSIM 2.0, an improved channel simulator which can simulate spatially consistent channel realizations based on the existing drop-based channel simulator NYUSIM 1.6.1. A geometry-based approach using multiple reflection surfaces is proposed to generate spatially correlated and time-variant channel coefficients. Using results from 73 GHz pedestrian measurements for human blockage, a four-state Markov model has been implemented in NYUSIM to simulate dynamic human blockage shadowing loss. To model the excess path loss due to penetration into buildings, a parabolic model for outdoor-to-indoor penetration loss has been adopted from the 5G Channel Modeling special interest group and implemented in NYUSIM 2.0. This paper demonstrates how these new modeling capabilities reproduce realistic data when implemented in Monte Carlo fashion using NYUSIM 2.0, making it a valuable measurement-based channel simulator for fifth-generation and beyond mmWave communication system design and evaluation.

Accurate precise positioning at millimeter wave frequencies is possible due to the large available bandwidth that permits precise on-the-fly time of flight measurements using conventional air interface standards. In addition, narrow antenna beamwidths may be used to determine the angles of arrival and departure of the multipath components between the base station and mobile users. By combining accurate temporal and angular information of multipath components with a 3-D map of the environment (that may be built by each user or downloaded a-priori), robust localization is possible, even in non-line-of-sight environments. In this work, we develop an accurate 3-D ray tracer for an indoor office environment and demonstrate how the fusion of angle of departure and time of flight information in concert with a 3-D map of a typical large office environment provides a mean accuracy of 12.6 cm in line-of- sight and 16.3 cm in non-line-of-sight, over 100 receiver distances ranging from 1.5 m to 24.5 m using a single base station. We show how increasing the number of base stations improves the average non-line-of-sight position location accuracy to 5.5 cm at 21 locations with a maximum propagation distance of 24.5 m.

This paper provides indoor reflection, scattering, transmission, and large-scale path loss measurements and models, which describe the main propagation mechanisms at millimeter wave and Terahertz frequencies. Channel properties for common building materials (drywall and clear glass) are carefully studied at 28, 73, and 140 GHz using a wideband sliding correlation based channel sounder system with rotatable narrow-beam horn antennas. Reflection coefficient is shown to linearly increase as the incident angle increases, and lower reflection loss (e.g., stronger reflections) are observed as frequencies increase for a given incident angle. Although backscatter from drywall is present at 28, 73, and 140 GHz, smooth surfaces (like drywall) are shown to be modeled as a simple reflected surface, since the scattered power is 20 dB or more below the reflected power over the measured range of frequency and angles. Partition loss tends to increase with frequency, but the amount of loss is material dependent. Both clear glass and drywall are shown to induce a depolarizing effect, which becomes more prominent as frequency increases. Indoor propagation measurements and large-scale indoor path loss models at 140 GHz are provided, revealing similar path loss exponent and shadow fading as observed at 28 and 73 GHz. The measurements and models in this paper can be used for future wireless system design and other applications within buildings for frequencies above 100 GHz.

This paper provides an analysis of radio wave scattering for frequencies ranging from the microwave to the Terahertz band (e.g., 1 GHz–1 THz), by studying the scattering power reradiated from various types of materials with different surface roughnesses. First, fundamentals of scattering and reflection are developed and explained for use in wireless mobile radio, and the effect of scattering on the reflection coefficient for rough surfaces is investigated. Received power is derived using two popular scattering models — the directive scattering (DS) model and the radar cross section (RCS) model through simulations over a wide range of frequencies, materials, and orientations for the two models, and measurements confirm the accuracy of the DS model at 140 GHz. This paper shows that scattering can become a prominent propagation mechanism as frequencies extend to millimeter-wave (mmWave) and beyond, but at other times can be treated like simple reflection. Knowledge of scattering effects is critical for appropriate and realistic channel models, which further support the development of massive multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) techniques, localization, ray tracing tool design, and imaging for future 5G and 6G wireless systems.

Commonly used drop-based channel models cannot satisfy the requirements of spatial consistency for millimeterwave (mmWave) channel modeling where transient motion or closely-spaced users need to be considered. A channel model having spatial consistency can capture the smooth variations of channels, when a user moves, or when multiple users are close to each other in a local area within, say, 10 m in an outdoor scenario. Spatial consistency is needed to support the testing of beamforming and beam tracking for massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) and multi-user MIMO in fifth-generation (5G) mmWave mobile networks. This paper presents a channel model extension and an associated implementation of spatial consistency in the NYUSIM channel simulation platform [1], [2]. Along with a mathematical model, we use measurements where the user moved along a street and turned at a corner over a path length of 75 m in order to derive realistic values of several key parameters such as correlation distance and the rate of cluster birth and death, that are shown to provide spatial consistency for NYUSIM in an urban microcell street canyon scenario.

This paper describes an implementation of spatial consistency in the NYUSIM channel simulation platform. NYUSIM is a millimeter wave (mmWave) channel simulator that realizes measurement-based channel models based on a wide range of multipath channel parameters, including realistic multipath time delays and multipath components that arrive at different 3-D angles in space, and generates life-like samples of channel impulse responses (CIRs) that statistically match those measured in the real world. To properly simulate channel impairments and variations for adaptive antenna algorithms or channel state feedback, channel models should implement spatial consistency which ensures correlated channel responses over short time and distance epochs. The ability to incorporate spatial consistency into channel simulators will be essential to explore the ability to train and deploy massive multiple- input and multiple-output (MIMO) and multi-user beamforming in next-generation mobile communication systems. This paper implements spatial consistency in NYUSIM for when a user is moving in a square area with the side length 15 m. The spatial consistency extension will enable NYUSIM to generate realistic evolutions of temporal and spatial characteristics of the wideband CIRs for mobile users in motion, or for multiple users who are in close proximity to one another.

This article presents measurement guidelines and verification procedures for antenna cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) and penetration loss measurements for millimeter wave (mmWave) channel sounder systems. These techniques are needed to ensure accurate and consistent measurements by different researchers at different frequencies and bandwidths. Measurements at 73 GHz are used to demonstrate and verify the guidelines, and show the consistency of the antenna XPD factor and the penetration loss at different transmitter-receiver (T-R) separation distances, thus providing a systematic method that may be used at any frequency for reliable field measurements.

As a hot-spot of 5G, the research on detection algorithms for massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system is significant but difficult. The traditional MIMO detection algorithms or their improvements are not appropriate for large scaled antennas. In this paper, we propose artificial bee colony (ABC) detection algorithm for massive MIMO system. As one advanced technology of swarm intelligence, ABC algorithm is most efficient for large scaled constrained numerical combinatorial optimization problem. Therefore, we employ it to search the optimum solution vector in the modulation alphabet with linear detection result as initial. Simulation and data analysis prove the correctness and efficiency. Versus the scale of massive MIMO systems from 64 × 64 to 1024 × 1024 with uncoded four-quadrature-amplitude-modulation signals, the proposed ABC detection algorithm obtains bit error rate of 10 − 5 at low average received signal-to-noise-ratio of 12 dB with rapid convergence rate, which approximates the optimum bit error rate performance of the maximum likelihood and achieves the theoretical optimum spectral efficiency with low required average received signal-to-noise-ratio of 10 dB in similar increasing regularity, over finite time of low polynomial computational complexity of per symbol, where NT denotes the transmitting antennas' number. The proposed ABC detection algorithm is efficient for massive MIMO system. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.