M-ary PSK Transmission via a Coherent Two-Link Channel Exhibiting AM-AM and AM-PM Nonlinearities

This paper generalizes some aspects of Jain and Blachman's analysis of the error probability for binary PSK transmission over a two-link channel having a hard-limiting repeater. In the present analysis
M
-ary PSK transmission through a repeater having both nonlinear amplitude and phase characteristics is considered. The error probability is given in terms of an infinite series whose
n
th term must be obtained by a one-dimensional numerical integration. A practical amplitude and phase characteristic from the literature is treated. Also presented is a study of the effect on error probability of "backing-off" the repeater from saturation.