Error probabilities for FFH/BFSK with noise normalization and soft decoding in a fading channel with partial-band jamming

An error probability analysis of a communications link employing convolutional coding with soft-decision Viterbi decoding implemented on a fast frequency-hopped, binary frequency-shift keying (FFH/BFSK) spread spectrum system is performed. The generated signal is transmitted through a frequency non-selective, slowly fading channel with partial-band jamming and additive white Gaussian noise. Noise normalization combining is employed at the receiver to alleviate the effects of partial-band jamming. The received signal amplitude of each hop is modeled as a Ricean process, and each hop is assumed to fade independently. It is found that with the implementation of convolutional coding and soft decision Viterbi decoding that the performance of the receiver is improved dramatically when the E_b/N_j is greater than about 10 dB and that multiple hops per bit are not required in order to force the jammer to move from a partial-band to a full-band jamming strategy