Multipathartefakte

Multipathartefakte, often referred to as multipath interference or simply multipath, are a phenomenon that occurs when a signal travels via multiple paths between a transmitter and a receiver before reaching its destination. This is particularly common in radio frequency communication, such as Wi-Fi, cellular networks, and radar systems. The signal reflections off objects like buildings, walls, and the ground cause these multiple paths.

When these differently routed signals arrive at the receiver, they can interfere with each other. If the paths have different lengths, the signals will arrive at slightly different times. This time difference can lead to constructive or destructive interference. Constructive interference can strengthen the signal, while destructive interference can weaken or even cancel out the signal, leading to signal fading or complete loss of reception. This variability in signal strength and quality is a direct consequence of multipathartefakte.

In digital communication systems, multipath can cause inter-symbol interference (ISI), where a transmitted symbol smears into adjacent symbol periods, making it difficult for the receiver to correctly decode the data. Techniques like equalization are employed in receivers to mitigate the effects of multipath by attempting to compensate for the delay and amplitude distortions introduced by the multiple signal paths. Understanding and managing multipathartefakte is crucial for reliable wireless communication.