Extrapolation Technique for Long Term Bit Error Rate Determination

An extrapolation method is presented for determination of characteristic curves of long term bit error rate (BER) versus signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for digital communication equipment. The method is to obtain a single reliable data point at a BER of 10-4 or 10-5 and then to draw a theoretically shaped curve through this reference. The technique is validated by both theoretically and experimentally demonstrating that variations of the internal anomalies that contribute to bit errors in digital communications receivers cause the BER curves to shift laterally, but that the curves retain their characteristic shape. Use of this extrapolation method can reduce test time by 3 to 4 orders of magnitude.