Modeling and Analysis of Pathloss Effect on UAS Communication Signals

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) present versatile and cost-effective solutions across a wide range of applications, ranging from search and rescue to emergency and accident management. UAS utilization continues to surge; therefore, it is increasingly vital to establish dependable communication links between the UAS Control and Command (C2) systems and the ground control stations to ensure mission success. Many studies have explored the impacts of interference, such as pathloss, on conventional communication technologies; however, there is a noticeable knowledge gap related to understanding how this interference affects UAS communications. This study aimed to address this research gap by thoroughly investigating the impact of pathloss on the available bandwidth for UAS communications. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations were performed using the IQ constellation diagrams and Bit Error Rates (BERs) of the received signals. The results indicated that parameters such as UAS height, distance to ground stations, and modulation schemes impact IQ Constellations and BERs.