CDMA versus FDMA channel capacity in mobile satellite communication

At present a major effort is under way to define the most efficient modulation/multiple access system in mobile satellite communication. Where the emphasis is on digital voice modulation, the proposed multiple access methods almost always imply frequency division multiple access (FDMA). This analysis presents a comparison between FDMA and code division multiple access (CDMA), for the operation of both multiple access methods in the mobile satellite communication environment. The mobile satellites under consideration use multiple-beam or scan-beam antennas and employ frequency reuse of the allocated L-band frequency spectrum. As CDMA is better at absorbing Doppler and multipath effects, and permits higher rate coding, in general (practical considerations aside) it appears to be the more capable system.     

Hybrid diversity combining techniques for DS‐CDMA over a multipath fading channel

The combined effect of antenna diversity and spread spectrum (SS) diversity for a direct sequence code division multiple access (DS‐CDMA) system using differential binary phase‐shift keying (DBPSK) modulation is evaluated. Both maximal ratio combining (MRC) and selection diversity (SD) are considered and the bit error rate (BER) performance for four following diversity schemes are compared: (1) SS diversity with MRC and antenna diversity with SD; (2) SS diversity with SD and antenna diversity with MRC; (3) MRC of both SS diversity and antenna diversity; (4) SD of both SS diversity and antenna diversity. It is shown that antenna diversity with MRC and SS diversity with selection has a performance very close to that of antenna diversity and SS diversity both with MRC. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Performance of a turbo‐coded CDMA system in a mobile satellite channel

The bit error rate (BER) performance of a turbo‐coded code‐division multiple‐access (CDMA) system operating in a satellite channel is analysed and simulated. The system performance is compared for various constituent decoders, including maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) and Max‐Log‐MAP algorithms, and the soft‐output Viterbi algorithm. The simulation results indicate that the Max‐Log‐MAP algorithm is the most promising among these three algorithms in overall terms of performance and complexity. It is also shown that, for fixed code rate, the BER performance is improved substantially by increasing the number of iterations in the turbo decoder, or by increasing the interleaver length in the turbo encoder. The results in this paper are of interest in CDMA‐based satellite communications applications. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soft Linear Precoding for the Downlink of DS/CDMA Communication Systems

In this paper, we propose a transmitter-based linear-precoding scheme that outperforms conventional precoding by making use of a portion of the interference between the users in a code-division multiple-access (CDMA) system downlink. The utilization of part of the interference is achieved by selectively orthogonalizing the desired symbols to destructive interference by means of precoding while allowing interference that constructively contributes to the useful signal's energy. The existence and exploitation of constructive interference effectively spreads the signal constellation and enhances the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at the receiver. SINR improvement is attained with no need for additional power-per-user investment at the transmitter since energy that is inherent in the CDMA system is utilized. The scheme introduced in this paper applies to the downlink of cellular phase-shift keying (PSK)-based CDMA systems. Theoretical analysis and comparative simulations show that significant performance improvement can be attained with the proposed technique.      

Satellite diversity in mobile satellite CDMA systems

The paper addresses the exploitation of satellite diversity in a satellite mobile network. In particular, we focus on the impact of diversity on service availability and on system capacity, considering the forward link of a CDMA system with a multisatellite and multibeam architecture. The analysis includes the effects of path blockage, intrabeam and interbeam interference, imperfect power control, and fading correlation in the time-domain due to nonideal interleaving. A closed-form solution is given for the estimation of system capacity. We show that satellite diversity is essential in providing service availability in urban and suburban areas, while the impact of satellite diversity on system capacity may be positive or negative, mainly depending on the fading channel characteristics. In particular, diversity becomes more and more beneficial for increasing fading time-domain correlation (i.e., for low mobile speed and/or limited interleaving depth). The analytical results have been validated by means of Monte Carlo simulation     

Ser performance analysis of decode-and-forward cooperative scheme in satellite mobile channel

In this paper, Symbol-Error-Rate (SER) performance analysis is provided for a Decode-and-Forward (DF) cooperative scheme in satellite mobile channel environment. We present a satellite mobile cooperative communication system model and derive two generalized error probability expressions with Cyclical Redundancy Check (CRC) or not. We also derive and simulate SER of the proposed system over different satellite mobile channels. The results show that the analytical results are in great accordance with the ones obtained by simulation. Also, it was shown that, whether or not adopt CRC depends on the channel link quality between the source node and the relay node.     

Digital transmission through a land mobile satellite channel

An analytical derivation of the probability of bit error noncoherent frequency-shift keying (FSK) and coherent phase-shift keying (PSK) signals transmitted through a land-mobile satellite channel is described. The channel characteristics used in the analysis are based on a recently developed model which includes the combined effects of fading and shadowing. Analytical expressions for the probability of bit error of FSK and coherent phase-shift keying (CPSK) signals are obtained. The results show that large amounts of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are required to compensate for the combined effect of fading and shadowing. An analytical expression for the irreducible probability of bit error of a CPSK signal due to phase variations caused by fading and shadowing is derived. The results described should be useful in the design of land mobile satellite communication systems     

Increased capacity using CDMA for mobile satellite communication

The performance of a spread-spectrum CDMA (code-division multiple access) system in a mobile satellite environment is analyzed. Comparisons to single-channel-per-carrier FDMA systems are presented which show that the CDMA approach provides greater capacity. Results from computer simulations, laboratory tests, and field tests of a prototype modem are also presented. The tests results show excellent performance of the modem in the mobile environment and also the feasibility of the spread-spectrum approach to satellite mobile communications     

Pilot-aided coherent uplink for mobile satellite CDMA networks

A pilot-aided coherent uplink transmission scheme is proposed for mobile satellite communications at L-band. The scheme is designed to enhance link performance as compared to coded noncoherent M-ary orthogonal modulation, while maintaining small envelope fluctuations and low complexity. A rigorous analysis is performed for the proposed technique, when used in conjunction with a direct-sequence code-division multiple-access convolutionally encoded binary phase shift keying link, in a Rice-fading channel with satellite diversity. The pilot-aided scheme has been extensively simulated, accounting for finite interleaving in slow fading and nonideal carrier frequency recovery. The results show a significant performance gain with respect to noncoherent schemes designed for similar links, which goes up to 1.8 dB for 9.6 kb/s services with slow moving users exploiting dual-satellite diversity     

Throughput performance of slotted DS/CDMA ALOHA with packetcombining over generalised fading channels

A time diversity automatic repeat-request (ARQ) scheme is investigated for a slotted narrowband DS/CDMA wireless data network over a Nakagami fading channel. Numerical results reveal that the proposed adaptive retransmission diversity with packet combining provides a considerable advantage over the conventional slotted DS/CDMA ALOHA at the expense of a slight increase in implementation complexity     

Modelling the land mobile satellite channel: a review

The use of satellite systems in the implementation of third-generation mobile communication systems obviously involves a propagation environment for the signal different from that in the conventional terrestrial first- and second-generation systems. The propagation conditions and phenomena met with are embraced by the expression `land mobile satellite (LMS) channel'. This paper reviews the studies of the LMS channel reported in the literature. The various models are classified and compared in such a way that their similarities and differences are apparent     

Advances in satellite CDMA transmission for mobile and personalcommunications

An ubiquitous network for multimedia personal communications (Personal Communications Network (PCN)) with small, individual low-cost terminals is one of the most ambitious worldwide projects for the 21st century that are being pursued nowadays. In the development of such PCN, Geostationary, Medium, and Low Earth Orbiting (GEO, MEO, LEO) satellite constellations will play a fundamental role to provide worldwide coverage for most services required by the end-user. The characteristics of efficiency and flexibility inherently required by that scenario suggest, amidst other possibilities, to take into special consideration a radio interface based on code division multiple access (CDMA) to ensure, in addition to the features mentioned above, a sufficient grade of power and spectral efficiency of the relevant satellite radio link. The aim of this paper is a review of the current status of those issues in the field of satellite CDMA transmission systems design that, in our opinion, appear fundamental to the successful operation of an efficient PCN. In particular, we survey the techniques for multiplexing, coding and transmission of direct-sequence spread spectrum (DS/SS) signals, and we touch upon the techniques for the minimization of the self-noise effect, and the related topics of power-control and multiuser detection. We also shortly address in this respect some technological aspects related to an efficient modem design via digital signal processing techniques. The final part of the paper deals more specifically with some typical issues of satellite transmission, namely the minimization of the detrimental effects of the nonlinear satellite transponder and of multipath propagation; the applicability of diversity reception to a multisatellite network is also addressed as possible means of performance boost     

Blind adaptive channel estimation for dual-rate DS/CDMA signals

This letter proposes the subspace-based blind adaptive channel estimation algorithm for dual-rate quasi-synchronous DS/CDMA systems, which can operate at the low-rate (LR) or high-rate (HR) mode. Simulation results show that the proposed blind adaptive algorithm at the LR mode has a better performance than that at the HR mode, with the cost of an increasing computational complexity     

THE CAPACITY CALCULATION FOR CDMA MOBILE SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

On the basis of considering downlink power flux density limit, shadowing effect frequency reuse in different systems and adjoining beams of same system, adopting voice activity and polarization isolation techniques, the capacity of CDMA mobile satellite communication system at different downlink power flux density limit modes, channel spread bandwidth and mobile user's quality factor of receiving system(G/T) are analysed and calculated, and compared with the ones of TDMA and FDMA. The conclusions are given at the end of this paper.     

Video transmission over mobile satellite systems

Mobile satellite communication channels are characterized by long transmission delays, variation of these delays, high bit‐error‐rates, shadowing and the multipath effect which severely reduce the quality of video services. Error control techniques including feedback mechanisms, error concealment methods, forward error correction techniques and error resilience schemes are examined in this paper for achieving a high‐integrity video transmission over a mobile satellite channel. The application of three different error resilience algorithms, namely Turbo codes, error‐resilient entropy codes and two‐way decoding using reversible codes is presented. Their joint performance is also examined. Furthermore, a low‐delay and low‐complexity video transcoding algorithm which fully interconnects two very low bit rate video communication standards: MPEG‐4 and H.263 is also elaborated. This transcoder works as a gateway tool which links two heterogeneous multimedia networks, such as a mobile satellite network and a land‐based network, with negligible processing delay and complexity. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Land mobile satellite channel measurements and modeling

This paper, tutorial in nature, describes the effort of many investigators who have and still are conducting channel measurements and modeling for land mobile satellite communications. Various channel measurement results, ranging from ultrahigh frequency to Ka-band, are given. Many statistical channel models and simplified models that have been developed are referred to. Some of the models are applicable to geostationary and nongeostationary communications satellites. A statistical model developed by Loo (1985) is described in detail, as well as its extension to modeling land mobile satellite communications at Ka-band. This was accomplished by including a Gaussian probability density function to account for weather conditions. Also, practical computer-generated statistical channel models are given. These computer models should facilitate the estimation of performance of satellite communications systems     

Adaptive receiver for DS/CDMA communications over impulsive noisechannels

A new adaptive algorithm is proposed for training soft-limiter based correlation receiver in which the direct sequence code division multiple access signals corrupted by impulsive symmetric a-stable noise are demodulated. The new adaptation algorithm allows simpler implementation and faster convergence speed in comparison with the traditional adaptive stochastic gradient-based algorithms     

Adaptive predistortion of COFDM signals for a mobile satellite channel

In this paper, we consider the optimization of the performance of QPSK and 16‐QAM coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (COFDM) signals over the non‐linear and mobile satellite channel. A high power amplifier and Rician flat fading channel produces non‐linear and linear distortions; an adaptive predistortion technique combined with turbo codes will reduce both types of distortion. The predistorter is based on a feedforward neural network, with the coefficients being derived using an extended Kalman filter (EKF). The conventional turbo code is used to mitigate Rician flat fading distortion and Gaussian noise. The performance over a non‐linear satellite channel indicates that QPSK COFDM followed by a predistorter provides a gain of about 1.7 dB at a BER of 3×10^?3 when compared to QPSK COFDM without the predistortion scheme and 16‐QAM COFDM provides a gain of 0.5 dB output back‐off and 1.2 dB signal to noise ratio at a BER of 3×10^?5 when compared with an adaptive predistorter based on the Harmmerstein model. We also investigate the influence of the guard time interval and Doppler frequency effect on the BER performance. When the guard interval increases from 0 to 0.125T samples and the normalized Doppler frequency is 0.001, there is a gain of 0.7 and 1 dB signal to noise ratio at a BER of 6×10^?4 for QPSK and 16‐QAM COFDM, respectively. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Complexity reduction in subspace-based blind channel identificationfor DS/CDMA systems

Direct-sequence code-division multiple access is emerging as a potential multiple-access communication scheme for future digital wireless communications systems. Such wide-band systems usually operate in a frequency-selective fading channel that introduces intersymbol interference and thus potential performance degradation. Previously proposed subspace-based blind channel identification algorithms, which provide estimates of channel parameters for effective equalization, suffer from high numerical complexity for systems with large spreading gains. In this paper, it is shown that, through the use of matched filter outputs, reduction in numerical complexity can be obtained. The complexity reduction is considerable when the channel length is small and the system is moderately loaded. The results show that the new algorithm suffers a slight performance loss. Although the employed matched filter outputs do not form a set of sufficient statistics for the unknown channels, the difference between the matched filter outputs and the sufficient statistics becomes negligible for large observation lengths and the asymptotic normalized Fisher information does not change. Performance is evaluated through simulations, the derivation of a tight approximation of the mean-squared channel estimation error, and through comparisons to the Cramer-Rao bound for the estimation error variance. It is shown that the approximation of the mean-squared error can be obtained in terms of the correlation of the spreading codes and the channels. This representation of the error supplies a tool for investigating the relationship between performance and spreading sequence correlations     

Soft multiuser decoding for vector quantization over a CDMA channel

An approach to optimal soft decoding for vector quantization (VQ) over a code-division multiple-access (CDMA) channel is presented. The decoder of the system is soft in the sense that the unquantized outputs of the matched filters are utilized directly for decoding (no decisions are taken), and optimal according to the minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) criterion. The derived decoder utilizes a priori source information and knowledge of the channel characteristics to combat channel noise and multiuser interference in an optimal fashion. Hadamard transform representations for the user VQs are employed in the derivation and for the implementation of the decoder. The advantages of this approach are emphasized. Suboptimal versions of the optimal decoder are also considered. Simulations show the soft decoders to outperform decoding based on maximum-likelihood (ML) multiuser detection. Furthermore, the suboptimal versions are demonstrated to perform close to the optimal, at a significantly lower complexity in the number of users. The introduced decoders are, moreover, shown to exhibit near-far resistance. Simulations also demonstrate that combined source-channel encoding, with joint source-channel and multiuser decoding, can significantly outperform a tandem source-channel coding scheme employing multiuser detection plus table lookup source decoding