An accurate closed-form approximation of the average probability of error over a log-normal fading channel

• Published in: IEEE transactions on wireless communications Vol. 7; no. 5; pp. 1495 - 1500
• Main Authors: Heliot, F., Ghavami, M., Nakhai, M.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway, NJ IEEE 01-05-2008; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Additive noise; Applied sciences; Approximation; Channels; Communication systems; Errors; Exact sciences and technology; Exact solutions; Fading; Gaussian noise; Mathematical analysis; Random processes; Rician channels; Shadow mapping; Signal processing; Small scale; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Ultra wideband communication; Wireless communication; Fading channels; Fading; Approximate method; Lambert W function; Probabilistic approach; Error estimation; closed- form expression; error analysis; Wireless telecommunication; probability; Transmission channel; Gaussian distribution; Wide band transmission; Probability distribution; approximation methods; Lognormal distribution; Ultra wide band; Log-normal distributions; Indoor installation; Telecommunication system; Shadowing; communication channels
• ISSN: 1536-1276; 1558-2248
• DOI: 10.1109/TWC.2008.061019

The log-normal probability distribution is commonly used in wireless communications to model the shadowing and more recently the small scale fading for indoor ultra wideband communications. In this paper, an accurate closed-form approximation of the average probability of error over a log-normal fading channel is derived for various constellation types and sizes. This expression can be used to evaluate and compare easily the symbol-error performance of communication systems over a log-normal fading channel.