Average bit-error-rate performance of band-limited DS/SSMA communications

Direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access (DS/SSMA) communications, strictly band-limited transmitter chip waveforms with excess bandwidth in the interval between zero and one, pseudo-random spreading sequences, an additive white Gaussian noise channel, and matched filter receivers are considered. First, a new expression for the average bit error rate (BER) is derived for systems with quaternary phase-shift keying (QPSK) spreading, the conventional matched filter receiver, a coherent detector for binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) data symbols, and chip waveforms that result in no interchip interference. The expression consists of a well known BER expression based on the standard Gaussian approximation to multiple-access interference and a few correction terms. It enables accurate BER evaluations without any numerical integration for various choices of system parameters of interest. The accuracy of the expression is guaranteed as long as the conditional Gaussian approximation to the cross-correlation coefficients between the desired user´s spreading sequence and the interfering users´ spreading sequences is valid. The expression well reflects the effect of filtering on the system performance. Extensions of the expression are discussed for systems with QPSK spreading and different detection schemes, systems with BPSK spreading, and systems with different transmit and receive filters. Monte Carlo simulation results are also provided to verify the accuracy.