Convolutionally interleaved PSK and DPSK trellis codes for shadowed, fast fading mobile satellite communication channels

The performance of convolutionally interleaved PSK and DPSK trellis codes for shadowed mobile satellite communication channels is investigated. The characteristics of fading channels are examined and analyzed in terms of probability distributions for amplitude, phase and burst errors. A statistical method, using a histogram approach, is utilized along with the simulations of fading channels to generate these probability distributions. This approach is simple and provides an accurate estimate of the channel characteristics. Having the background knowledge of the burst error distribution, a periodic convolutional interleaver/deinterleaver is designed to be used with trellis coding to combat burst errors in digital, shadowed mobile satellite channels. The results show that the periodic convolution interleaver provides considerable improvement relative to known techniques in the error and time-delay performance of the mobile satellite system