I want to know the properties of ray instead of each path in Matlab ray-tracer for RF propagation

Hi, I am trying to buid an AI model pridict the the properties of an RF ray after an interaction with an object and want to create the data set using matlab. I came accross a tutorial that shows how to get different properties of a path (I think) but is there a way to get the information of each ray. for example when it hit an obsticle/material these were the properties and when it bounced off these were the properties.

thanks in advance

Answer 1

[Umar]

Hi Abdul,

Certainly! In MATLAB, you can obtain the properties of raypaths through various functions and methods, depending on the specific application and type of ray tracing being performed. One common approach is to use the ray tracing toolbox, which provides functions for defining and analyzing raypaths in different scenarios such as optical systems, wave propagation, or electromagnetic simulations. For example, the "raytrace" function in MATLAB's Optical Toolbox allows you to input the parameters of a ray (such as its origin, direction, and wavelength) and trace its path through an optical system, returning information about its properties at various points along the trajectory. This can include details such as the path length, refractive index changes, polarization state, and other relevant characteristics.

For more information regarding raytrace function, please refer to https://www.mathworks.com/help/antenna/ref/txsite.raytrace.html#

If you have a specific application or scenario in mind, feel free to provide additional details so that I can tailor my response more precisely to your needs.

[Abdul Ghani Zahid]

Hi, Thanks alot again to help me out. For an example, I have run a tutorial from the matlab raytracing page. The output is shown below.

As can be seen there is one path generated. I am considering that this 1 path comprises of 2 rays, i.e. 1 after being released from the the TX and before hitting the obsticle, and second aftering hitting the obsticle and before arriving at the RX. I have saved the paths traced in a variable named as paths. now as there is one path, there is only one variable here. When I extend it, I can see different properties as can be seen in the second image.

Here I can see the angle of arival at RX and angle of departure from tx. I can see the interactions that the path encountered that contain the material and the position.

Now I do understand that I can use these positions to and the position of the next interaction to find the angles, but how can I find the other properties of the rays 1 and 2, or simply put the properties before and after each interaction.

once again thanks alot

[Umar]

Hi Abdul,

To find the properties of the rays before and after each interaction, you can utilize the information stored in the "paths" variable. Since you already have access to the angle of arrival at RX and the angle of departure from TX, you can calculate other properties by considering the interactions that each ray encountered. Here are some steps you can follow to find the properties of rays 1 and 2 before and after each interaction:

1. Extract the material and position information for each interaction from the "paths" variable.

2. Use this information along with the positions of the interactions to calculate properties such as reflection, refraction, transmission coefficients, polarization state changes, phase shifts, etc.

3. Consider the physical laws governing light propagation (such as Snell's law for refraction) to determine how the properties of the rays change at each interaction point.

4. Update the properties of each ray accordingly based on the interactions it undergoes.

By systematically analyzing each interaction point and applying relevant equations or models, you can determine the properties of the rays before and after each interaction accurately. Please let me know if you have further questions.

[Abdul Ghani Zahid]

Hi, thanks alot for the response, but is there no function or comand by which I can do this? Thanks

[Umar]

Hi Abdul,

Sorry to let you know that in Matlab, there isn't a specific built-in function that directly calculates the properties of rays before and after each interaction. However, you can create a custom script to analyze the data in the "paths" variable.

[Abdul Ghani Zahid]

Okay, I will try to do that, thanks alot for your help.

Answer 2

[Umar]

Hi Abdul,

To create a dataset for predicting RF ray properties after interactions in MATLAB, you can simulate the path of RF rays using ray tracing techniques. Utilizing tools like the raytrace function in the Phased Array System Toolbox for ray tracing simulations to define the scenario, including the transmitter, receiver, and objects in the environment. Now, to capture the properties of each ray at interaction points, you need to intercept the rays when they hit an obstacle or bounce off a material. You can extract information such as, Incident angle, Reflection angle, Path loss,Phase shift, Polarization change and Material properties at the interaction point. Afterwords, Iterate through the simulation results and record the properties of each ray at interaction events. Store this information in a structured format like a table or a dataset in MATLAB. Ensure to include all relevant properties for training your AI model.Here's a simplified example to demonstrate how you can extract and store ray properties during simulation:

% Perform ray tracing simulation

% Assume 'rayPaths' contains information about ray paths

rayProperties = struct('IncidentAngle', [], 'ReflectionAngle', [], 'PathLoss', []);

for i = 1:numel(rayPaths)

    % Extract properties at interaction points
    rayProperties(i).IncidentAngle = rayPaths(i).incidentAngle;
    rayProperties(i).ReflectionAngle = rayPaths(i).reflectionAngle;
    rayProperties(i).PathLoss = rayPaths(i).pathLoss;
    % Add more properties as needed

end

% Create a dataset from extracted properties

rayDataset = struct2table(rayProperties);

Once you have collected the ray properties data, preprocess it as needed for training your AI model. Then, split the dataset into training and testing sets, normalize the features, and handle any missing values. If you follow these steps, you can create a comprehensive dataset containing the properties of RF rays at interaction points, enabling you to train your AI model effectively for predicting RF ray behavior after interactions with objects.

[Abdul Ghani Zahid]

hi, thanks for the prompt responce. As you have mentioned above to asume that the 'raypaths' contains the properties of each ray. Is there an actual function to get the properties of these rays?