Simulation System for Analog and Digital Transmissions

In this paper a complete communication system simulation package is described, which includes digital as well as analog operations to be performed on the signal to be transmitted. The package simulates the transmitter, the communication channel, and the receiver. The digital transmission simulation considers data communication systems with digital filtering, source and channel coding performing the operations of transmitter coding and receiver decoding. The two coding operations can be realized both separately and independently and in a strictly connected or "integrated" form. The analog transmission simulation includes the modulator, the transmitter pulse shaping filter, the communication channel, the receiving filter, and the demodulator. This section is very general, so that it allows the simulation of both analog and digital transmissions. Simulation results are presented regarding some combinations of the following techniques: predictive source coding, block codes able to correct random and burst errors, and modulation techniques such as AM, -level PSK, FSK, and MSK. In particular, the paper presents the results of the analyses of an integrated source-channel coding applied to digital transmissions and of a system transmitting both voice and data for a VHF communication link between ground and aircraft for air traffic control applications.