Performance analysis of optical synchronous CDMA communication systems with PPM signaling

Direct-detection optical synchronous code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems with M-ary pulse-position modulation (PPM) signaling are investigated. Optical orthogonal codes are used as the signature sequences of our system. A union upper bound on the bit error rate is derived taking into account the effect of the background noise, multiple-user interference, and receiver shot noise. The performance characteristics are then discussed for a variety of system parameters. Another upper bound on the probability of error is also obtained (based on Chernoff inequality). This bound is utilized to derive achievable expressions for both the maximum number of users that can communicate simultaneously with asymptotically zero error rate and the channel capacity. Our results show that under average power and bit error rate constraints, there always exists a pulse position multiplicity that permit all the subscribers to communicate simultaneously.<>