Impact of diversity on mobile radio systems with coded modulation, fading, and co-channel interference

We study the impact of diversity on coded digital communication systems operating over channels affected by co-channel interference and by independent flat Rayleigh fading. We provide bounds on error probability, an error floor analysis, simulation results, and an asymptotic analysis of the diversity channel as the diversity order increases. Our results show the effectiveness of diversity as a way to combat the irreducible error floor due to co-channel interference in fading channels. Calculation of the channel cut-off rate provides guidelines for the design of coded systems in such an environment.