Coded modulation techniques with bit interleaving and iterative processing for impulsive noise channels

Power line communications (PLC) surfers performance degradation due mainly to impulsive noise interference generated by electrical appliances. This thesis studies coded modulation techniques to improve the spectral efficiency and error performance of PLC. Considered in the first part is the application of bit-interleaved coded modulation with iterative decoding (BICM-ID) in class-A impulsive noise environment. In particular, the optimal soft-output demodulator and its suboptimal version are presented for an additive class-A noise (AWAN) channel so that iterative demodulation and decoding can be performed at the receiver. The effect of signal mapping on the error performance of BICM-ID systems in impulsive noise is then investigated, with both computer simulations and a tight error bound on the asymptotic performance. Extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) chart analysis is performed to illustrate the convergence properties of different mappings. The superior performance of BICMID compared to orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is also clearly demonstrated.Motivated by the successes of both BICM-ID and OFDM in improving the error performance of communications systems in impulsive noise environment, the second part of this thesis introduces a novel scheme of bit-interleaved coded OFDM with iterative decoding (BI-COFDM-ID) over the class-A impulsive noise channel. Here, an iterative receiver composed of outer and inner iteration loops is first described in detail. Error performance improvements of the proposed iterative receiver with different iteration strategies are presented and discussed. Performance comparisons of BI-COFDM-ID, BICM-ID and iteratively decoded OFDM are made to illustrate the superiority of BI-COFDM-ID. The effect of signal mapping on the error performance of BI-COFDM-ID is also studied

Investigation of non-binary trellis codes designed for impulsive noise environments

PhD ThesisIt is well known that binary codes with iterative decoders can achieve near Shannon limit performance on the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, but their performance on more realistic wired or wireless channels can become degraded due to the presence of burst errors or impulsive noise. In such extreme environments, error correction alone cannot combat the serious e ect of the channel and must be combined with the signal processing techniques such as channel estimation, channel equalisation and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). However, even after the received signal has been processed, it can still contain burst errors, or the noise present in the signal maybe non Gaussian. In these cases, popular binary coding schemes such as Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) or turbo codes may not perform optimally, resulting in the degradation of performance. Nevertheless, there is still scope for the design of new non-binary codes that are more suitable for these environments, allowing us to achieve further gains in performance. In this thesis, an investigation into good non-binary trellis error-correcting codes and advanced noise reduction techniques has been carried out with the aim of enhancing the performance of wired and wireless communication networks in di erent extreme environments. These environments include, urban, indoor, pedestrian, underwater, and powerline communication (PLC). This work includes an examination of the performance of non-binary trellis codes in harsh scenarios such as underwater communications when the noise channel is additive S S noise. Similar work was also conducted for single input single output (SISO) power line communication systems for single carrier (SC) and multi carrier (MC) over realistic multi-path frequency selective channels. A further examination of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) wired and wireless systems on Middleton class A noise channel was carried out. The main focus of the project was non-binary coding schemes as it is well-known that they outperform their binary counterparts when the channel is bursty. However, few studies have investigated non-binary codes for other environments. The major novelty of this work is the comparison of the performance of non-binary trellis codes with binary trellis codes in various scenarios, leading to the conclusion that non-binary codes are, in most cases, superior in performance to binary codes. Furthermore, the theoretical bounds of SISO and MIMO binary and non-binary convolutional coded OFDM-PLC systems have been investigated for the rst time. In order to validate our results, the implementation of simulated and theoretical results have been obtained for di erent values of noise parameters and on di erent PLC channels. The results show a strong agreement between the simulated and theoretical analysis for all cases.University of Thi-Qar for choosing me for their PhD scholarship and the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scienti c Research (MOHESR) for granting me the funds to study in UK. In addition, there was ample support towards my stay in the UK from the Iraqi Cultural Attach e in Londo

Design and performance evaluation of turbo FDE receivers

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de ComputadoresIn recent years, block transmission techniques were proposed and developed for broadband wireless communication systems, which have to deal with strongly frequency-selective fading channels. Techniques like Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM)and Single Carrier with Frequency Domain Equalization (SC-FDE) are able to provide high bit rates despite the channel adversities. In this thesis we concentrate on the study of single carrier block transmission techniques considering receiver structures suitable to scenarios with strongly time-dispersive channels. CP-assisted (Cycle Pre x) block transmission techniques are employed to cope with frequency selective channels, allowing cost-e ective implementations through FFT-based (Fast Fourier Transform) signal processing. It is investigated the impact of the number of multipath components as well as the diversity order on the asymptotic performance of SC-FDE schemes. We also propose a receiver structure able to perform a joint detection and channel estimation method, in which it is possible to combine the channel estimates, based on training sequences, with decision-directed channel estimates. A study about the impact of the correlation factor estimation in the performance of Iterative Block-Decision Feedback Equalizer (IB-DFE) receivers is also presented

Frequency-domain receiver design for doubly-selective channels

This work is devoted to the broadband wireless transmission techniques, which are serious candidates to be implemented in future broadband wireless and cellular systems, aiming at providing high and reliable data transmission and concomitantly high mobility. In order to cope with doubly-selective channels, receiver structures based on OFDM and SC-FDE block transmission techniques, are proposed, which allow cost-effective implementations, using FFT-based signal processing. The first subject to be addressed is the impact of the number of multipath components, and the diversity order, on the asymptotic performance of OFDM and SC-FDE, in uncoded and for different channel coding schemes. The obtained results show that the number of relevant separable multipath components is a key element that influences the performance of OFDM and SC-FDE schemes. Then, the improved estimation and detection performance of OFDM-based broadcasting systems, is introduced employing SFN (Single Frequency Network) operation. An initial coarse channel is obtained with resort to low-power training sequences estimation, and an iterative receiver with joint detection and channel estimation is presented. The achieved results have shown very good performance, close to that with perfect channel estimation. The next topic is related to SFN systems, devoting special attention to time-distortion effects inherent to these networks. Typically, the SFN broadcast wireless systems employ OFDM schemes to cope with severely time-dispersive channels. However, frequency errors, due to CFO, compromises the orthogonality between subcarriers. As an alternative approach, the possibility of using SC-FDE schemes (characterized by reduced envelope fluctuations and higher robustness to carrier frequency errors) is evaluated, and a technique, employing joint CFO estimation and compensation over the severe time-distortion effects, is proposed. Finally, broadband mobile wireless systems, in which the relative motion between the transmitter and receiver induces Doppler shift which is different or each propagation path, is considered, depending on the angle of incidence of that path in relation to the direction of travel. This represents a severe impairment in wireless digital communications systems, since that multipath propagation combined with the Doppler effects, lead to drastic and unpredictable fluctuations of the envelope of the received signal, severely affecting the detection performance. The channel variations due this effect are very difficult to estimate and compensate. In this work we propose a set of SC-FDE iterative receivers implementing efficient estimation and tracking techniques. The performance results show that the proposed receivers have very good performance, even in the presence of significant Doppler spread between the different groups of multipath components

Underwater acoustic communications in warm shallow water channels

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

On Combined Coding and Modulation

In the treatment of channel coding as a separate operation independent of the modulation, the coded set of sequences generally has a smaller channel symbol duration than the uncoded set of sequences for the same information rate. Accordingly, the power spectrum density (PSD) of the channel signals changes essentially. On the other hand, if the modulation is designed in conjunction with the channel coding, error correction can be achieved without leading to any essential changes in the PSD. In this thesis, two combined coding and modulation schemes are studied. Narrowband powerline communication (PLC) is considered as a practical application. The thesis can be divided into two parts. In the first part, combined coding and modulation scheme based on the single carrier modulation is proposed. An run-length limited (RLL) encoder is introduced between the channel encoder and the constant envelope modulator to control the minimum channel symbol duration (the minimum duration in which the channel symbol stays constant) of a set of block waveforms defined in a constant time. As a single carrier modulation, noncoherent FSK and PSK are considered. Accordingly, it is shown that high coding gains can be achieved at the same information rate without leading to an essential change in the PSD. The maximum-likelihood (ML) receiver structures are derived and investigated for the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and the impulsive noise channel models. In the second part of the thesis, OFDM modulation is considered. If the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the transmitted OFDM symbol contains a small number of zeros or known data, there is a similarity between the inverse DFT (IDFT) and RS encoder. In practice, not all subcarriers are used to carry information. Some subcarriers are set to zero or known data (pilot symbols) for different purposes, that include channel estimation, synchronization or cancelation of the DC value. An iterative impulsive noise suppression algorithm is proposed, which exploits the impulsive noise structure in the time and frequency domain and uses the existing redundancy to decode the errors. The simulation results show that the influence of impulsive noise can be essentially reduced.Bei der klassischen Kanalcodierung wird die Datenrate durch Einfügen von Redundanzen bewusst erhöht, um dadurch eine Absicherung gegen auftretende Fehler zu erreichen. Die Erhöhung der Datenrate erfordert eine wesentliche Änderung im Power-Spektrum. Aber bei vielen Anwendungen ist eine möglichst effiziente Nutzung des Power-Spektrums gefordert. In dieser Arbeit werden Codierung und Modulation gemeinsam betrachtet, so dass die Verbesserung der Übertragungsqualität keine wesentliche Änderung in dem Power-Spektrum erfordert. Das Power-Spektrum wird durch Power-Spektrum-Dichte analysiert. Als praktische Anwendung der Arbeit wird die Schmalband-Powerline-Kommunikation (Narrowband Power Line Communication) betrachtet. Powerline ist der Begriff für die Übertragung von Daten über Stromkabel. Im Gegensatz zu konventionellen Kommunikationskanälen kann die Störung auf Stromnetze nicht als additives weißes Gaußsches Rauschen (AWGN) modelliert werden. Das ist darauf zurückzuführen, dass neben Hintergrundrauschen auch Schmalbandstörungen und insbesondere Impulsstörungen vorkommen. Beim Auftreten eines Impulses sind Bit- oder Burstfehler bei einer Datenübertragung sehr wahrscheinlich. Im ersten Teil werden Einzelträgerverfahren betrachtet. Ein sogenannter RLL- (Run-length Limited) Code wird verwendet, um die Anzahl aufeinanderfolgender Symbole mit gleichem Wert nach unten zu begrenzen. Dementsprechend wird gezeigt, dass im gemeinsamen blockweisen RLL Encoder/Modulator der minimale euklidische Abstand erhöht werden kann, ohne wesentliche Änderung in der Power-Spektrum-Dichte. Im Empfänger erfolgen Demodulation und Decodierung nicht getrennt, sondern in einem Schritt, wobei alle Vorteile der Maximum-Likelihood-Decodierung mit Verwendung von Soft-Decision erhalten bleiben. Ein wesentlich größerer Codierungsgewinn ergibt sich bei der Verkettung mit einem RS- (Reed-Solomon) Code. Zunächst werden die Auswirkungen von Impulsstörungen auf RLL-codierte Einzelträgerverfahren erläutert. Die Modellierung von Impulsstörungen als nicht-Gauß'sche Verteilungen wurde in der Literatur durch verschiedene Ansätze vorgestellt. In der Arbeit wird das Klasse-A Modell von Middleton angewendet. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit wird OFDM- (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) Verfahren betrachtet. Insbesondere durch die Impulsstörungen werden in der Datenübertragung erhebliche Störeffekte hervorgerufen. In OFDM werden die Modulation bzw. Demodulation mit Hilfe einer IDFT bzw. DFT (Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform, Discrete Fourier Transform) ausgeführt. Die bisherigen Überlegungen zur Kompensation von Impulsstörungen behandeln nur das OFDM-Verfahren mit einer großen Anzahl von Unterträgern (>256). In diesem Fall wird die Energie des Störimpulses durch die DFT auf viele Unterträger verteilt. Wenn die Anzahl der Unterträger kleiner als 256 ist, ist die Verteilung der Störung nicht uniform. Wenn die DFT der gesendeten OFDM-Symbol eine kleine Anzahl von Nullen oder bekannten Daten enthält, gibt es eine Ähnlichkeit zwischen der IDFT und RS-Encoder. Die OFDM-Signale beinhalten häufig Pilotinformationen und zu Null gesetzte Träger in der Signalstruktur. Es werden Verfahren zur Kompensation von Impulsstörungen durch Pilotinformationen und zu Null gesetzte Träger untersucht bzw. entwickelt, die eine Steigerung der Robustheit der Datenübertragung ermöglichen. Als Zielkriterium wird dabei die Senkung der Bitfehlerrate bei einer impulsgestörten Übertragung herangezogen. Für die Modellierung von Impulsstörungen wird das vereinfachte "Klasse-A"\, Modell von Middleton verwendet