Radio wave propagation measurements provide a way to accurately and reliably characterize environments to assist in the development and optimization of wireless communication systems. As digital radio systems occupy wider bandwidths and use multipath signal combining to enhance quality of service, knowledge of time dispersion and the multipath structure of radio channels become increasingly important. The wideband measurement system presented herein provides a practical means to precisely measure the delays and strengths of individual multipath components which arrive at a radio receiver.

Presented in this Thesis are fundamental theory, practical implementation, and simulation models for a sliding correlator measurement system. The sliding correlator technique is explained in detail and large-scale measurement survey is presented. Techniques for statistically quantifying the characteristics of propagation using the sliding correlator measurements are presented and compared. The development of simulations of the sliding correlator system is described, and simulation results are used to test conventional and newly developed post-processing algorithms.

This Thesis presents a practical view of the sliding correlator measurement system, but its foundations are rooted in the theoretical results which are explained and derived herein. Propagation researchers and students in the wireless communication field may find this work and the cited references useful for continued study of wideband propagation measurements or for application of the sliding correlator system as a wideband measurement solution.