Tight bounds on the error probability of coded modulation schemes in Rayleigh fading channels

This paper presents a tight upper bound on the bit error performance of coded modulation schemes in Rayleigh fading channels. Upper and lower bounds on the pairwise error probability are first derived. The upper bound is then expressed in a product form to be used with the transfer function bounding technique. This upper bound has the same simplicity as the union-Chernoff bound while providing closer results to the exact expression. Examples for the case of four-state and eight-state TCM 8PSK schemes are also given to illustrate the tightness and the application of this upper bound