On the error burst properties of Viterbi decoding

The burst error properties of the "standard" K = 7, rate-1/2, (133, 171) convolutional code with soft-decision Viterbi decoding are studied. Computer simulation results are compared with simple models based on low Eb/No arguments and with high Eb/No asymptotes derived from the code distance properties. A simple model for predicting the average number of errors in a burst and the burst error probability is developed. The only input data required are the average burst lengths. Material from a number of widely spread sources is presented. Useful empirical relationships are developed.<
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