DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : A.V.VENUGOPAL.
Designation : Lecturer.
Branch : ECE.
Institute : G.P.W, Hindupur.
Semester : Third.
Subject : Analog communication.
Code : EC-305.
Topic : Transmission line and wave propagation.

Sub-topic : Ionosphere propagation.

Duration : 50Mts.
Teaching Aids : PPTs,Diagrams.

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Objectives:

• Upon completion of this period you would be able to :

• Know the details of ionosphere propagation,
The details of
- virtual height,
- critical frequency,
- M.U.F.,
-skip distance
of ionosphere propagation.

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Recap

Already we have learnt about :

• The structure of ionosphere.

• The characteristic of ionosphere layer and their effects.

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Ionospehere propagation or sky wave propagation

EM waves is the frequency range 1.5MHZ to 30MHZ

are returned back to earth from the ionized region of
the upper atmosphere called ionosphere.

Different ionospheric layers are used to propagate EM

waves in the required direction and to the required
area.

Propagation of EM waves using ionosphere is called

ionosphere propagation.

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• The sky wave represents energy sent from the
transmitter that reaches the receiving antenna as a result
of bending of the wave path by ionosphere.

• sky wave propagation is useful for long distance point to

point communication around the globe through multihop
reflection as shown in fig. 1.

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ionosphere propagation

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Fig.1 Multi hop propagation

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Other names of ionosphere propagation

• Ionosphere propagation is also called sky wave

propagation.

• The sky wave propagation is suitable for short waves

only, it is often referred to as short wave propagation.

• Since long distance point to point communication is

possible with sky wave propagation it is also called point
to point propagation by scientists and engineers.

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Fading of sky wave signal

• After a single reflection from the ionosphere, the radio

waves can cover distances up to 4000Kms.

• The signals received due to sky wave propagation are

subjected to fading.

• Because of number of waves connecting by different

paths to the receiving point.

• Fading can be overcome by using automatic volume

control or diversity reception.
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Effect of ionosphere on sky wave

• EM waves are returned to earth by one of the layers of

the ionosphere by reflection but the actual mechanism
involved is refraction.

• As the ionization density increases for wave approaching

the given layer at an angle, the refractive index of the
layer is reduced.

• Hence the incident wave is gradually bends farther away

from the normal.
Contd..

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• Ionosphere does following to the sky wave.

3. It observes various amounts of energy from the wave

and it also acts as a radio mirror that eventually bends
the wave back towards the earth.

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• The ability of the ionosphere to return a wave to earth
depends upon:

4. Frequency of the wave.

5. The angle of incidence and.
6. The ion density of various layers

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Mechanism involved in sky wave propagation

• The mechanism of Ionospheric propagation looks like

reflection of EM wave but the original process involved
is refraction as shown in the fig.

• The electron density of layers increase (in other words

refraction in index decreasing) on the wave moves
upwards.

• As a result the angle of refraction goes on deviating from

the normal as the wave enters from denser medium to
rarer medium.

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Fig Successive refraction of radio waves

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• The wave entering at point P deviates more and more
and reaches the highest point where it travels parallel to
the earth.

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 Mechanism involved in sky wave propagation

• In this way , the radio wave after entering the ionosphere

at point P , penetrates slightly to the layers of ionosphere
,and after reaching the peak point Pm ,and there after
moves down words ,leaves the ionosphere at point ‘Q’
and finally returned back to earth.

• The higher the frequency ,the more ionization is

necessary for refraction.
contd..

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• A region near the transmitter , where the signal from
ionosphere cannot be received is called ‘skip zone’.

• HF communication via the ionosphere is noisy and

uncertain.

• It is prone to phase shifting and frequency selective

fading.

• Ionospheric propagation is relatively unreliable and noisy

but achieves worldwide communication is the HF range.

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Terms and definitions related to ionosphere

Critical frequency:

• The critical frequency for a given layer is the highest

frequency that will be returned down to earth by that
layer after having beamed straight up at it.

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• Critical frequency is given by

• fc =9 √N max

• Where N max is the maximum ionization density of the

layer i.e number of electrons/m3.

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 Skip distance:
• The skip distance is the shortest distance from a
transmitter , measured along the earth surface ,at where
a sky wave of fixed frequency will be returned to earth.

• Virtual height of ionosphere

The Virtual height of an ionosphere layer is the height to

which a short pulse of energy sent vertically upwards
and traveling with the speed of light , would reach taking
the same two way travel time its does the actual pulse
reflected from the layer.

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Fig. skip distance
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Fig. Virtual height
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 Maximum usable frequency -MUF

• The maximum possible value of frequency for which

reflection takes place from an ionosphere is called the
maximum usable frequency abbreviated as MUF

• For a given fixed location of transmitter and the receiver

the maximum usable frequency is one which makes the
distance to the receiving point equal to the skip distance.

• It is the frequency that gives the strongest sky wave

signal at the receiving point .

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• The relation between maximum usable frequency and
critical frequency fc is given by ‘secant law’.

• M.U.F. = fc sec θi
where the θi is angle of incidence.

• MUF=fc√1+(D/2h)2
where D – SKIP DISTANCE,
h – vertical height,
fc – critical frequency.

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Uses of ionosphere propagation

• Ionosphere propagation is used

• To limited extent for telephony.
• For ship and aircraft communication extensively.
• In Amateur radio.
• In Short wave broadcasting.

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 Summary
• sky wave is an E.M. wave that is returned to earth by the
ionosphere

• Short waves are used for sky wave propagation.

• Ionospheric propagation, short wave propagation, point

to point propagation are the other names of sky wave
propagation.

• Ionospheric propagation is relatively unreliable and noisy

but achieves worldwide communication in HF range.

• Critical frequency, skip distance, vertical height,

maximum usable frequency characterizes ionospheric
propagation.
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 QUIZ

1. Long distance short wave broad casting uses

(a) Ground wave

(b) Ionosphere wave
(c) Space wave
(d) Tropo scatter wave.
ANS: (b)

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2. Maximum usable frequency is the term used in

(a) ionosphere propagation

(b) Tropo scatter propagation
(c) line of sight propagation
(d) ground wave propagation.
ANS: (a)

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3.Secant law relates

(a) MUF & skip distance

(b) MUF & critical frequency
(c) MUF & vertical height
(d) MUF & Optimum usable frequency
ANS: (b)

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4.The other names of sky wave propagation are

(a) ionosphere propagation

(b) short wave propagation
(c) point to point propagation
(d) all the above

Ans. (d)

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Frequently asked questions:

(1) Explain ionospheric propagation

(2) Define the following following terms.

(a) critical frequency
(b) Maximum usable frequency
(c) skip zone & skip distance
(d) virtual height

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