Modelling the Frame Error Rate for Iterative Demapping and Decoding Techniques over Quasi-Static Fading Channels

In this paper, we present and validate an analytical model for the frame error rate (FER) performance of iterative demapping and decoding techniques over quasi-static fading channels both with and without antenna diversity. In particular, the model characterises the FER performance in terms of four parameters only; the convergence threshold, the number of receive antennas, the number of transmit antennas, and the ratio of the energy per bit to the noise spectral density (E_b/N_o). We also discuss some complications arising in the estimation of the convergence threshold from extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts, for various mapping schemes, different coding schemes and decoding algorithms. Results demonstrate that system characteristics over quasi-static fading channels are accurately captured by the model.