A MATLAB-Based Deployment Planning Tool for RIS-Assisted Hybrid RF/FSO Communication Systems in Rural Zimbabwe

The RIS Deployment Planning Tool is an interactive MATLAB application that turns a verified analytical framework for reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted hybrid RF/free-space-optical (FSO) relay systems into a site-specific link-budget calculator for rural network planning. The user selects one of five Zimbabwe terrain classes (setting the Nakagami-m fading parameter), one of three seasonal atmospheric regimes (setting the Gamma–Gamma turbulence parameters), and a RIS array size between 1 and 100 elements; the tool then computes and plots outage probability, ergodic capacity, and average bit error rate (BER) for the RIS-assisted system against RF-only and non-RIS hybrid baselines, and reports the minimum SNR needed to meet user-defined outage and BER targets, the SNR saving delivered by the RIS, the surplus solar power released by that saving, and a recommended array size. Results reproduce closed-form expressions verified against Monte Carlo simulation to within 4%. The tool is a single script requiring only base MATLAB R2018b or later, with no toolbox dependencies, and exports timestamped plain-text link-budget reports. It gives rural operators and policy planners direct access to research-grade performance analysis without requiring knowledge of the underlying mathematics.