Performance Evaluation of Aerial Drone to Ground Communication Links Using Adaptive Modulation and Coding Techniques

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used to develop wireless technologies for ground communications. These technologies are continuously advancing and are expected to improve further in the near future. Conventional communication systems need sophisticated and costly infrastructure, along with time-consuming installation processes. In contrast, a UAV-assisted wireless communication system ensures a cost-effective wireless connection to devices without the requirement for cumbersome infrastructure installation. Wireless communication systems integrated with low-altitude UAVs offer faster deployment, increased mobility, easy re-configuration, and are expected to provide higher quality communication channels with shorter range line-of-sight (LOS) connectivity compared to High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) like hot air balloons or terrestrial systems. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the UAV-to-Ground system is impeded by unforeseeable obstacles, which impact the integrity of the communication connection between drones and ground users. This study covers a comprehensive assessment of path loss, Signal-to-Noise ratio, delay, and throughput performance for terrestrial users connected to aerial drones in various environments. This work also explores the application of adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) in Aerial-to-Ground (A2G) networks. We aim to assess the network capacity and downlink data rates, as well as achieve optimal performance. In addition, we conducted research on the link parameters that control the switching of modulation and coding rates on the downlink of the A2G channel.