Modeling correlated fading with diversity and its application to block codes performance estimation

The error structure in wireless channels is very crucial to various system designs, but it is also very difficult to describe. In this paper, we first develop a finite state channel model for representing a correlated fading channel with diversity. Specifically, general expressions for determining the steady state probability of each state, transition probabilities between states and error probability in each state are derived for a correlated fading channel with N-branch selection diversity. Based on this model, we then study the error structure in wireless environments with/without diversity reception through estimating the performance of block codes, which is very important for finding the best error detection/correction coding design in correlated fading. In particular, a recursive algorithm is devised for an efficient computation of the error rates of block codes. Finally, Rayleigh fading channels are simulated to verify the accuracy of the estimated error rate performance of block codes, and thus the usefulness of the developed model.