Comparative Analysis of Ray Tracing and Rayleigh Fading Models for Distributed MIMO Systems in Industrial Environments

This paper presents a detailed analysis of coverage in a factory environment using realistic 3D map data to evaluate the benefits of Distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) over colocalized approach. Our study emphasizes the importance of network densification in enhancing D-MIMO performance, ensuring that User Equipment (UE) remains within range of multiple Access Points (APs). To assess MIMO capacity, we compare two propagation channel models: ray tracing and stochastic. While ray tracing provides accurate predictions by considering environmental details and consistent correlations within the MIMO response, stochastic models offer a more generalized and efficient approach. The analysis outlines the strengths and limitations of each model when applied to the simulation of the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) single-user capacity in various D-MIMO deployment scenarios.