Efficient Adaptive Modulation and Coding Techniques for WiMAX Systems

The demand for high-speed services and multimedia applications in wider wireless environments leads to the growth of wireless communications, due to the simplicity of installation and the reduction of costs with respect to traditional cabled links. In particular, WiMAX technology is considered one of the most prominent solutions capable to provide a Broadband Wireless Access in metropolitan areas. In this paper two schemes of adaptive modulation and coding are proposed with the aim of improving performances in Non Line-of-Sight communications, typical of urban environments. Through these techniques it is possible to switch the order of the modulation and the coding rate to better match the channel conditions, obtaining comforting results in terms of probability of error and throughput. The system has been modeled with a finite state structure in which every state consists in a possible scheme of transmission (i.e. a specific modulation and coding rate), and the switch among different states happens when multiple thresholds on channel attenuation are reached. The adaptation is realized at the physical level of the transmission for a WiMAX OFDMA structure. The two proposed techniques are suitable for different kind of traffic and, therefore, can be used for respecting different QoS requirements.