Characterization of Digital Real Channels

Abstract

Errors encountered in digital transmission over real channels, like ionospheric and tropospheric scatter channels, are not independent in their occurrence but appear in clusters separated by error-free gaps. Characterization of these channels involves prediction of their basic behaviour for uncoded communication, and observation and modeling of the statistical structure of sequences of errors for exploitation in the design of efficient coding systems. In this report, the available information on these aspects of characterization is briefly reviewed with specific reference to binary digital communication.