Communication-theoretic analysis of capture-based networks

Under the power-based capture model, a transmission is successfully received at the destination, even in the presence of other transmissions and background noise, if the received signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio exceeds a capture threshold. We evaluate the spectral efficiency of simple multi-user channels by combining the basic capture model with a communication-theoretic model. The result is a more refined capture model that incorporates key system design parameters (such as achievable bit rate, target bit error rate, channel bandwidth, and modulation signal constellations) that are absent from the basic capture model. The relationships among these parameters can serve as a tool for optimizing the network performance.