Coded Modulations for Fading Channels: An Overview

Abstract

Abstract It is by now well known that combined channel coding and digital modulation (in short coded modulation) yield power and bandwidth efficient digital transmission schemes for the Gaussian channel. These schemes perform closer to channel capacity than those where coding and modulation are treated separately. More recently, coded modulation methods have been investigated for transmission over Rayleigh fading channels. It has been discovered that systems optimized for the Gaussian channel are not optimum for fading channels. This is primarily due to the importance of built‐in time diversity of the coded modulation scheme for fading channels. In this paper we give a brief overview of recent developments in signal design for Rayleigh fading channels. Mainly schemes based on phase shift keying are presented. Theoretical guidance for design and identification of the most important system parameters are given. A couple of detailed examples of code designs and their error probability performance are also given. Optimum and suboptimum receivers are discussed. An overview of analytical performance analysis tools, as well as code designs for both trellis coded modulation and block coded modulation is included in the paper. Methods for unequal error protection are given. Potential application areas are identified. An extensive reference list is supplied.

Keywords

Affiliated Institutions

• AT&T (United States) US
• Signal Processing (United States) US

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