Layered coding for satellite-plus-terrestrial multipath correlated fading channels

This paper introduces two alternative layered-coding (LC) structures suitable for a combination of a geostationary (GEO) satellite and a terrestrial system providing multicasting multimedia services. Both schemes include a RAKE receiver and their performance results are presented under realistic satellite and terrestrial channel conditions. The structures are based on mapping the coded bits either onto 8-PSK symbols or onto QPSK symbols. The LC parameters (such as the interleaver design and the convolutional encoder structures) are analysed and their effect on performance is quantified, especially in cases of highly correlated channels (low vehicular speeds). The various impairments that are associated to the transmission through both terrestrial and satellite correlated fading channels will be taken into account and link level performance results as well as a complexity discussion will be presented. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd