A simple figure of merit for evaluating interleaver depth for the land-mobile satellite channel

The selection of interleaver depth for the land-mobile satellite channel is investigated by analyzing the performance of convolutionally encoded BPSK and DPSK over a frequency-nonselective correlated Ricean fading channel. By extending previous analyses of partially interleaved convolutional codes over such channels, a new figure of merit-which is a function of the channel correlation function-is identified. Simulation results for the first-order Butterworth, Jakes (1974), and Divsalar (1991) fading spectra are presented which demonstrate the applicability of the figure of merit as an aid in interleaver design. The figure of merit also tracks the nonmonotonic, or quasi-oscillatory, behavior of the decoded bit error rate with increasing interleaver depths in those situations where this occurs.