High speed data transmission over HF radio links

The thesis describes the results of research work on techniques for high speed data transmission (2.4 kbit/s) over voice-band HF radio channels. This work has been carried out using extensive computer simulation of the various transmission techniques and the HF radio channels. Firstly, the characteristics of HF radio channels are discussed in detail and an HF channel model, suitable for computer simulation, is developed. The first of two techniques for high data rate transmission over HF links is then introduced, namely, multi-channel (or parallel) DPSK transmission. Parallel transmission is a well known technique in this application but it has been studied and simulated, in order to compare its performance with that of the second, more novel, transmission technique. This is a single channel system employing 4 point QAM signalling at the transmitter and maximum likelihood detection at the receiver. Initially, the parallel system is compared with an idealised serial system employing optimum Viterbi detection at the receiver with all other functions of the serial function assumed perfect. However, having shown the vastly superior performance of this serial system, a more practical serial modem is gradually developed, with further performance comparisons at each stage in this development. The final comparison is made with a very practical form of serial modem in which all practical receiver functions are simulated. Theseinclude a simpler, adaptive near maximum likelihood detector, receiver filtering, channel estimator, carrier phase tracking, timing synchronisation and automatic gain control. Finally, the design and implementation of the serial modem is studied and details of the complexity of a digital, processor-based, realisation are given.