Path Loss & Fading

1. Conceptual Intuition (L1)

• Signal gets weaker with distance (Inverse Square Law).
• But also: Obstacles (Shadowing) and Reflections (Fading).
• "Fast Fading" vs "Slow Fading".

2. Engineering Math (L2)

• Free Space Path Loss (FSPL).
• 2-Ray Ground Reflection model ($1/R^4$ decay).
• Log-Normal Shadowing.

3. System Application (L3)

• Rayleigh Fading (No LOS) vs Rician Fading (Strong LOS).
• Fade Margin in link budgets.
• Diversity techniques (MIMO, Space Diversity) to combat fading.

Interactive Component: Link Budget Builder

• Description: Calculate signal strength over distance with obstacles.
• Controls: Distance, Freq, Environment Type.