Performance evaluation of mobile DAB receivers in enhanced packet mode

This paper describes the bit error rate (BER) performance of the Enhanced Packet Mode (EPM) of the Eureka 147 Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) system in a mobile environment. The BER performance of DAB-EPM is characterized by computer simulations in frequency selective (typical case) and flat faded (worst case) mobile channels. For each of these channels, simulations are performed at vehicle speeds ranging from very slow (walking speed) to very fast (high speed trains). Simulation results show that, in typical frequency selective mobile environments, the target BER of 10 8 required to deliver adequate packet data service via the EPM is achieved at Carrier to Noise Ratio (C/N) values smaller than the target value of 14 dB used in coverage and frequency planning at most of the vehicle speeds tested. Moreover, the coverage area of packet data services is equivalent to the coverage of audio services delivered with the MPEG Layer 2 audio codec and the Unequal Error Protection Level 3 of DAB_.