QPSK Block-Modulation Codes for Unequal Error Protection

Unequal error protection (UEP) codes find applications in broadcast channels, as well as in other digital communication systems, where messages have different degrees of importance. Binary linear UEP (LUEP) codes combined with a Gray mapped QPSK signal set are used to obtain new efficient QPSK block-modulation codes for unequal error protection. Several examples of QPSK modulation codes that have the same minimum squared Euclidean distance as the best QPSK modulation codes, of the same rate and length, are given. In the new constructions of QPSK block-modulation codes, even-length binary LUEP codes are used. Good even-length binary LUEP codes are obtained when shorter binary linear codes are combined using either the well-known |u¯|u¯+v¯|-construction or the so-called construction X. Both constructions have the advantage of resulting in optimal or near-optimal binary LUEP codes of short to moderate lengths, using very simple linear codes, and may be used as constituent codes in the new constructions. LUEP codes lend themselves quite naturally to multistage decoding up to their minimum distance, using the decoding of component subcodes. A new suboptimal two-stage soft-decision decoding of LUEP codes is presented and its application to QPSK block-modulation codes for UEP illustrated

Self-concatenated code design and its application in power-efficient cooperative communications

In this tutorial, we have focused on the design of binary self-concatenated coding schemes with the help of EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) charts and Union bound analysis. The design methodology of future iteratively decoded self-concatenated aided cooperative communication schemes is presented. In doing so, we will identify the most important milestones in the area of channel coding, concatenated coding schemes and cooperative communication systems till date and suggest future research directions

Forward error correction for molecular communications

Communication between nanoscale devices is an area of considerable importance as it is essential that future devices be able to form nanonetworks and realise their full potential. Molecular communication is a method based on diffusion, inspired by biological systems and useful over transmission distances in the nm to μm range. The propagation of messenger molecules via diffusion implies that there is thus a probability that they can either arrive outside of their required time slot or ultimately, not arrive at all. Therefore, in this paper, the use of a error correcting codes is considered as a method of enhancing the performance of future nanonetworks. Using a simple block code, it is shown that it is possible to deliver a coding gain of ∼1.7 dB at transmission distances of . Nevertheless, energy is required for the coding and decoding and as such this paper also considers the code in this context. It is shown that these simple error correction codes can deliver a benefit in terms of energy usage for transmission distances of upwards of for receivers of a radius

Combinatorial pulse position modulation for power-efficient free-space laser communications

A new modulation technique called combinatorial pulse position modulation (CPPM) is presented as a power-efficient alternative to quaternary pulse position modulation (QPPM) for direct-detection, free-space laser communications. The special case of 16C4PPM is compared to QPPM in terms of data throughput and bit error rate (BER) performance for similar laser power and pulse duty cycle requirements. The increased throughput from CPPM enables the use of forward error corrective (FEC) encoding for a net decrease in the amount of laser power required for a given data throughput compared to uncoded QPPM. A specific, practical case of coded CPPM is shown to reduce the amount of power required to transmit and receive a given data sequence by at least 4.7 dB. Hardware techniques for maximum likelihood detection and symbol timing recovery are presented