Design of APSK Constellations for Coherent Optical Channels with Nonlinear Phase Noise

We study the design of amplitude phase-shift keying (APSK) constellations for a coherent fiber-optical communication system where nonlinear phase noise (NLPN) is the main system impairment. APSK constellations can be regarded as a union of phase-shift keying (PSK) signal sets with different amplitude levels. A practical two-stage (TS) detection scheme is analyzed, which performs close to optimal detection for high enough input power. We optimize APSK constellations with 4, 8, and 16 points in terms of symbol error probability (SEP) under TS detection for several combinations of input power and fiber length. Our results show that APSK is a promising modulation format in order to cope with NLPN. As an example, for 16 points, performance gains of 3.2 dB can be achieved at a SEP of 10^-2 compared to 16-QAM by choosing an optimized APSK constellation. We also demonstrate that in the presence of severe nonlinear distortions, it may become beneficial to sacrifice a constellation point or an entire constellation ring to reduce the average SEP. Finally, we discuss the problem of selecting a good binary labeling for the found constellations. For the class of rectangular APSK a labeling design method is proposed, resulting in near-optimal bit error probability.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Communication

Improving the Spectral Efficiency of Nonlinear Satellite Systems through Time-Frequency Packing and Advanced Processing

We consider realistic satellite communications systems for broadband and broadcasting applications, based on frequency-division-multiplexed linear modulations, where spectral efficiency is one of the main figures of merit. For these systems, we investigate their ultimate performance limits by using a framework to compute the spectral efficiency when suboptimal receivers are adopted and evaluating the performance improvements that can be obtained through the adoption of the time-frequency packing technique. Our analysis reveals that introducing controlled interference can significantly increase the efficiency of these systems. Moreover, if a receiver which is able to account for the interference and the nonlinear impairments is adopted, rather than a classical predistorter at the transmitter coupled with a simpler receiver, the benefits in terms of spectral efficiency can be even larger. Finally, we consider practical coded schemes and show the potential advantages of the optimized signaling formats when combined with iterative detection/decoding.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Iterative pre-distortion of the non-linear satellite channel

Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite - Second Generation (DVB-S2) is the current European standard for satellite broadcast and broadband communications. It relies on high order modulations up to 32-amplitude/phase-shift-keying (APSK) in order to increase the system spectral efficiency. Unfortunately, as the modulation order increases, the receiver becomes more sensitive to physical layer impairments, and notably to the distortions induced by the power amplifier and the channelizing filters aboard the satellite. Pre-distortion of the non-linear satellite channel has been studied for many years. However, the performance of existing pre-distortion algorithms generally becomes poor when high-order modulations are used on a non-linear channel with a long memory. In this paper, we investigate a new iterative method that pre-distorts blocks of transmitted symbols so as to minimize the Euclidian distance between the transmitted and received symbols. We also propose approximations to relax the pre-distorter complexity while keeping its performance acceptable

Optimization of a Coded-Modulation System with Shaped Constellation

Conventional communication systems transmit signals that are selected from a signal constellation with uniform probability. However, information-theoretic results suggest that performance may be improved by shaping the constellation such that lower-energy signals are selected more frequently than higher-energy signals. This dissertation presents an energy efficient approach for shaping the constellations used by coded-modulation systems. The focus is on designing shaping techniques for systems that use a combination of amplitude phase shift keying (APSK) and low-density parity check (LDPC) coding. Such a combination is typical of modern satellite communications, such as the system used by the DVB-S2 standard.;The system implementation requires that a subset of the bits at the output of the LDPC encoder are passed through a nonlinear shaping encoder whose output bits are more likely to be a zero than a one. The constellation is partitioned into a plurality of sub-constellations, each with a different average signal energy, and the shaping bits are used to select the sub-constellation. An iterative receiver exchanges soft information among the demodulator, LDPC decoder, and shaping decoder. Parameters associated with the modulation and shaping code are optimized with respect to information rate, while the design of the LDPC code is optimized for the shaped modulation with the assistance of extrinsic-information transfer (EXIT) charts. The rule for labeling the constellation with bits is optimized using a novel hybrid cost function and a binary switching algorithm.;Simulation results show that the combination of constellation shaping, LDPC code optimization, and optimized bit labeling can achieve a gain in excess of 1 dB in an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel at a rate of 3 bits/symbol compared with a system that adheres directly to the DVB-S2 standard

64-APSK Constellation and Mapping Optimization for Satellite Broadcasting Using Genetic Algorithms

DVB-S2 and DVB-SH satellite broadcasting standards currently deploy 16- and 32-amplitude phase shift keying (APSK) modulation using the consultative committee for space data systems (CCSDS) mapping. Such standards also include hierarchical modulation as a mean to provide unequal error protection in highly variable channels over satellite. Foreseeing the increasing need for higher data rates, this paper tackles the optimization of 64-APSK constellations to minimize the mean square error between the original and received symbol. Optimization is performed according to the sensitivity of the data to the channel errors, by means of genetic algorithms, a well-known technique currently used in a variety of application domains, when close form solutions are impractical. Test results show that through non-uniform constellation and asymmetric symbol mapping, it is possible to significantly reduce the distortion while preserving bandwidth efficiency. Tests performed on real signals based on perceptual quality measurements allow validating the proposed scheme against conventional 64-APSK constellations and CCSDS mapping

Advanced techniques for spectrally efficient DVB-S2X systems

We investigate different techniques to improve the spectral efficiency of systems based on the DVB-S2 standard, when the transmitted signal bandwidth cannot be increased because it has already been optimized to the maximum value allowed by transponder filters. We will investigate and compare several techniques to involve different sections of the transceiver scheme. The techniques that will be considered include the use of advanced detection algorithms, the adoption of time packing, and the optimization of the constellation and shaping pulses. The LDPC codes recently proposed for the evolution of the DVB-S2 standard will be considered, as well as the adoption of iterative detection and decoding. Information theoretical analysis will be followed by the study of practical modulation and coding schemes

NASA Near Earth Network (NEN) DVB-S2 Demonstration Testing for Enhancing Data Rates for CubeSat/SmallSat Missions

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) CubeSat/SmallSat missions are expected to grow rapidly in the next decade. As the number of spacecraft on a ground network grows, employing higher data rates could reduce loading by reducing the contact time per day required. CubeSats also need to communicate directly to earth from space from longer distances than low earth orbit (LEO). These challenges motivate the need for bandwidth and power efficient modulation and coding techniques. Today, Digital Video Broadcast, Satellite Second Generation (DVB-S2) is a communications standard for larger satellites. DVB-S2 uses power and bandwidth efficient modulation and coding techniques to deliver performance approaching Radio Frequency (RF) channel theoretical limits. NASA’s Near Earth Network (NEN) conducted a demonstration test at the Wallops Flight Facility in spring of 2019 for CubeSat/SmallSat missions for enhancing data rate performance in NASA’s S-band 5 MHz channel. The goal is to upgrade NEN with DVB-S2 to increase science data return and enable greater numbers of CubeSats. This paper presents the NEN DVB-S2 demonstration testing objectives and performance measurement results. Results of the demonstration testing are compared with evolving SmallSat/CubeSat radios. DVB-S2 S-band transmitter development concepts for SmallSats/CubeSats and use of DVB-S2 by future missions are discussed