Simulation-Based Analysis of Noise Spectral Components Affecting Mobile Communication in Industrial Drones

Mobile communication systems are essential for expanding the operational range of industrial drones. However, electromagnetic (EM) noise from onboard electronics can be a source of intrasystem electromagnetic interference (EMI), which may lead to receiver sensitivity degradation. This issue is particularly critical in industrial drones, for which miniaturization and weight constraints limit the application of conventional EMI countermeasures. The impacts of non-Gaussian EMI vary depending on its temporal and spectral structures, and such impacts on various wireless systems have been reported. The degree and nature of impacts are often highly dependent on the specific communication scheme. In this study, we focus on an intrasystem EMI problem specific to a drone platform, evaluating the effects of frequency-domain characteristics of EMI that are typical of noise generated by onboard drone equipment on LTE communication performance. White noise from the power module and clock-driven harmonic noise from the control module were modeled and evaluated using a wireless communication simulator. The results showed that both noise types degrade receiver sensitivity, with clock-driven harmonic noise having stronger impacts when the total in-band power is equal. Since this degradation occurs during down conversion and demodulation, the findings apply beyond the 800 MHz band. These results highlight the importance of considering not only total noise power but also spectral composition in EMI mitigation strategies. The proposed simulation-based EMI analysis can be an efficient approach to evaluating EMI effects in mobile communication systems, particularly during the early design phase of compact and lightweight electronic devices. While the results are specific to the evaluated drone, the proposed simulation-based EMI analysis provides a broadly applicable framework for assessing EMI effects in mobile communication systems.