Modeling Path Loss in Structured Mango Orchards: An Empirical Approach in Accordance with IEEE 802.11 Standards

In this paper, wirelessly-connected lightweight single-board computers, such as the Raspberry Pi, is employed for measuring path loss (PL) in a structured mango orchards at 2.45 GHz frequency. The experiment involves measuring signal strength (RSSI) at selected Line of Sight (LoS) and Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) points. The present measurement values are obtained during the autumn season, when the trees are in full leaf state and under bright sunny conditions. An empirical model is developed based on these measured values, and then compared with standard vegetation models applicable in IEEE 802.11 standards. Finally, the performance of the proposed model is validated for three cases. The results show good accuracy for the proposed model, with less Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values compared to the existing models.