Coded-Modulation Techniques for Fading Channels

Book excerpt: Coded-Modulation Techniques for Fading Channels provides the reader with a sound background for the application of bandwidth-efficient coded-modulation techniques in fading channels. The book systematically presents recent developments in the field, which has grown rapidly in recent years, and provides a solid frame of reference for further research in this area. During the past decade there has been a proliferation of research in the area of bandwidth-efficient coded-modulation techniques. The primary advantage of these schemes over modulation schemes employing traditional error correcting codes is their ability to improve the performance of the communication system without bandwidth expansion. This property makes them a suitable choice for channels which are limited in both power and bandwidth. A typical example of such channels is a mobile satellite channel, where it is desired to accommodate a large number of users in a given bandwidth with a power which is constrained by the physical size of the satellite and by the vehicle's antenna. Coded-Modulation Techniques for Fading Channels is an excellent reference for researchers and practicing engineers, and may be used as a text for advanced courses on the subject.