Multipath Propagation

 
Multipath Propagation
As Figure 1.3 illustrates, transmitted signals can combine with reflected ones to corrupt the
signal detected by the receiver. This is known as multipath propagation. Delay spread is the
amount of delay experienced by the reflected signals compared to the primary signal. As delay
spread increases, the signal at the receiver becomes more distorted and possibly undetectable
even when the transmitter and receiver are within close range.  Multipath propagation can be a significant problem, especially with indoor applications. Office
furniture, walls, and machinery are obstacles that can redirect parts of the transmitted signal.
Wireless LAN manufacturers compensate for the effects of multipath propagation by using
special processing techniques. As examples, equalization and antenna diversity are methods for
reducing the number of problems arising from multipath propagation