Performance evaluation of burst-error-correcting codes on a Gilbert-Elliott channel

The performance of single burst-error-correcting (BEC) codes used over bursty channels is evaluated. The channel is represented by the Gilbert-Elliott (1960, 1963) model, which has been used by numerous authors to evaluate the performance of random-error-correcting (REC) codes over bursty channels. Recursive expressions are derived, which are used in evaluating the probability of a codeword error. These expressions and an approximate closed-form expression are applied to the performance of a single (23,12) BEC code.