Nonbinary convolutional codes and modified M-FSK detectors for power-line communications channel

The Viterbi decoding algorithm, which provides maximum ¿ likelihood decoding, is currently considered the most widely used technique for the decoding of codes having a state description, including the class of linear error-correcting convolutional codes. Two classes of nonbinary convolutional codes are presented. Distance preserving mapping convolutional codes and M-ary convolutional codes are designed, respectively, from the distance-preserving mappings technique and the implementation of the conventional convolutional codes in Galois fields of order higher than two. We also investigated the performance of these codes when combined with a multiple frequency-shift keying (M-FSK) modulation scheme to correct narrowband interference (NBI) in powerline communications channel. The modification of certain detectors of the M-FSK demodulator to refine the selection and the detection at the decoder is also presented. M-FSK detectors used in our simulations are discussed, and their chosen values are justified. Interesting and promising obtained results have shown a very strong link between the designed codes and the selected detector for M-FSK modulation. An important improvement in gain for certain values of the modified detectors was also observed. The paper also shows that the newly designed codes outperform the conventional convolutional codes in a NBI environment.