Error probabilities of fast frequency-hopped MFSK with noise-normalization combining in a fading channel with partial-band interference

An error probability analysis performed for an M-ary orthogonal frequency-shift keying (MFSK) communication system employing fast frequency-hopped (FFH) spread-spectrum waveforms transmitted over a frequency-nonselective, slowly Rician fading channel with partial band interference is discussed. Diversity is obtained using multiple hops per data bit. Noise-normalization combining is employed by the system receiver to minimize partial-band interference effects. The partial-band interference is modeled as a Gaussian process. Thermal noise is also included in the analysis. Forward error correction coding is applied using convolutional codes and Reed-Solomon codes. Diversity is found to dramatically reduce the degradation of the noise-normalization receiver caused by partial-band interference regardless of the strength of the direct signal component. Diversity offers significant performance improvement when channel fading is strong, and performance improvement is obtained for high modulation orders (M>2). Receiver performance is improved when diversity, higher modulation orders, and coding are combined