Novel block error rate model for rayleigh and sub-rayleigh fading channels

A novel method to estimate block error rates (BLER) in the Rayleigh and sub-Rayleigh fading channels is proposed. The suggested model is based on a finite state Markov chain. The proposed model is usable over a wide range of fading rates and is analytically tractable. The general analytical results are specialized to the case of differential phase shift keying (DPSK) and to the case of Jakes’ fading spectrum. The validity of the proposed model is confirmed by extensive simulation results.