Configuration of Network Level Algorithms for Wireless Train Control Systems using Physics-Based Propagation Models

In communication-based train control (CBTC) systems, as a train travels along a track, it changes its association from one access point (AP) to another, which is referred to as a handoff. Control parameters for handoff algorithms are often set based on desired system requirements, such as outage probability, without considering the effect of the underlying propagation characteristics of the channel on the system performance. Therefore, for typical CBTC systems, conservative safety margins are introduced in order to ensure safe operations leading to potentially sub-optimal system performance. In this paper, we propose a systematic procedure for selecting a control parameter, namely the threshold value, which determines when handoffs are triggered for received signal strength (RSS) based handoff algorithms. The proposed scheme leads to the selection of threshold values that increase the safety margin in addition to reducing the number of handoffs incurred, thereby enhancing the overall CBTC system performance. These enhancements are made possible with the integration of physics-based propagation models and network design that harnesses the propagation characteristics of the underlying wireless channels.