Increasing the minimum Euclidean distance in combined trellis coding by using genetic algorithms

Channel coding, combined with expanded signal sets, has been shown to improve error performance over uncoded modulation (Ungerboeck, G., IEEE Trans. Information Theory, vol.IT-28, p.55-67, 1982). It was found that simple 8-state and 16-state trellis codes for symmetric MPSK modulation can achieve 6-7 dB gain over uncoded modulation without reduction in information bit rate by using genetic algorithms.