Revista Politécnica ISSN 1900-2351 (Impreso), ISSN 2256-5353 (En línea), Año X, Número X, páginas XX-XX, Enero-Junio 201X

Performance Analysis of Turbo and Convolutional Coding

Schemes of Downlink LTE-Advanced

Juan Rodriguez1, Christian Vega 2, Sebastián Guerrero 3, Jhon Barco4

1
Electronic Engineer, Institución Universitaria CESMAG, juanfrsolarte@gmail.com.
2
Msc. Electronics and Telecommunications, Electronics Engineering Professor - Institución Universitaria
CESMAG, Research Group RAMPA, cfvega@iucesmag.edu.co
3
Electronic Engineer, Institución Universitaria CESMAG, sebastiang0118@gmail.com
4
Msc. Engineering, Electronics Engineering Professor- Institución Universitaria CESMAG, Research Group
RAMPA, jebarco@iucesmag.edu.co

ABSTRACT

This article presents a comparative performance analysis of turbo and convolutional coding schemes
applicable to LTE-A downlink, implemented in Simulink for representation at link level, using Bertool Toolbox,
to obtain performance curves. Based on the comparative analysis was characterized the response of
encoders in terms of bit error rate and throughput getting the capacity and scope of these. To develop this
research, a simulation model from the parameters and the different accesses that use LTE-Advanced was
developed; a simulation in Simulink of Matlab was carried out to develop the simulation to link level.

Key Words— 4G Mobile Communication, Telecommunications, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, OFDM,

MIMO, Turbo codes, Convolutional codes, Bit Error Rate.

Received: March 27, 2017. Accepted: June xx, 20xx

Recibido: 27 de marzo de 2017. Aceptado: xx de Junio de 20xx

ANÁLISIS DEL DESEMPEÑO DE ESQUEMAS CODIFICACIÓN TURBO Y CONVOLUCIONAL EN EL

ENLACE DE BAJADA DE LTE-ADVANCED

RESUMEN

Resumen, Este artículo presenta un análisis comparativo del desempeño de los codificadores turbo y
convolucional aplicables al enlace de bajada de LTE-A, implementados en Simulink con el fin de
representarlos a nivel de enlace, utilizando el toolbox Bertool, para obtener las curvas de
desempeño. A partir del análisis comparativo se caracterizó la respuesta de los codificadores en
cuanto a tasa de error de bit y throughput estableciendo la capacidad y el alcance de éstos . Para
realizar esta investigación se realizaron un modelo de simulación a partir de los parametros y los diferentes
accesos que utilza LTE-Advanced, se realize una simulación en Simulink de Matlab para realizar la
simulacion a nivel de enlace..

Palabras clave: 4G comunicaciones móviles, MIMO, Telecomunicaciones, QAM, OFDM, codificación

turbo, codificación convolucional, tasa de error de bit, codificación.

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1. INTRODUCTION
The downlink packet scheduler take decisions from
As a growing number of users accessing new Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) to select the MCS
mobile technologies, telecommunications systems to be used, with the development of the study it was
implement new technologies for their diffusion and possible to determine which encoding scheme is
improvement. Thus the Third Generation more appropriate for performance metrics
Partnership Project (3GPP) standardizes Long addressed in the study, according to channel
Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A)[1], improving the conditions.
performance objectives established in the
predecessor standard.
Problem Definition
A
LTE-A employs Multiplexing Orthogonal Frequency Study Design
Division (OFDM)[2] as access technology, B
supported under Multiple Input Multiple Output Conceptual model design
C
systems (MIMO), and Division Duplex Frequency
(FDD), establishing a performance target of 1Gbps D
Elements Specifications of Conceptual Model
transmission rate in the downlink[1]. The LTE-A
transmitter and receiver blocks consider the Simulation model elaboration
E
channel coding in order to detect and correct bit
Analysis of Results
errors that eventually occur in the transmission. F

Previously, some studies related to performance Fig. 1. Methodology used for the development of
comparison of turbo and convolutional coding the study.
schemes applied to other technologies have been
developed [3][4][5][6], however they have not been 2.2. Study design
developed in the context of LTE-A.
The study design considers the assumptions,
The study aimed to analyze the turbo and
models necessary to carry out the study and the
convolutional coding performance in LTE-A
tools used for the implementation and testing of the
downlink, representing the functional structure of
proposed planner [8].
transmission, channel and reception in a simulation
model, achieving to determine the behavior of these
a. Assumptions
schemes under various channel conditions.
Since it is a link level simulation, the study
considers the one-way communication between the
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
eNB and receiver as well as a continuous bit
stream, fading effects are modeled by Rayleigh
The study is addressed from a neopositivist
distribution.
paradigm, with a quantitative approach, an
empirical analytical method and a descriptive type
b. Model required for the study
of research, developed through the phases
The general model of downlink LTE-A, is proposed
presented in Fig. 1 and is described below.
through three elements, formed by the transmitter,
the channel and receiver, as shown in figure 2.
2.1. Problem definition

The study aims to determine the performance of

turbo encoding and convolutional in the downlink
LTE-A considering the BER and throughput metrics.
The coding is complete with block modulation LTE-
A generating various Modulation and Coding
Schemes (MCS) which are controlled by the packet
scheduler [7].

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chosen, following this, is decoding and detection

block CRC that are responsible for the error
detection and correction respectively with the
information received shall calculate the BER and
throughput metrics [11].

Fig. 2. General model for the LTE-A downlink.

c. Tools.
To carry out the study, it is used MATLAB Simulink
R-2015® as a simulation tool. The tool has been
used in previous studies [4][9] and allows to
represent the functional blocks of the transmission
and reception in LTE-A.

2.3. Conceptual model design

The general model is represented by the block
diagram which can be divided into three parts, as
shown in Fig. 2; transmission, channel and
reception respectively. Fig. 3 [10] is a model of
detail in which is explained below.
In the transmission block, the Bernoulli generator is
responsible for generating random bits for
transmission, the source coder was implemented by
a CRC generator block, which is responsible for
adding information for error detection, attaching 24
bits per 1000 transmitted [11], the encoder that
transforms the bit sequence with a rate of 1/3 and
following the rule dictated by the generator
polynomial that was configured, modulation
depends on the model chosen channel, the three
highest modulations of the CQI table were taken,
they are 16, 64 and 256 QAM.
Fig. 3. General model LTE-A downlink design.
2.4. Simulation model elaboration
The construction is carried out in block diagrams,
considering the mechanism that performs LTE-A in
downlink. This includes the original structure based
on the basis offered by the LTE toolbox MATLAB
2015®, thanks to this tool taken as a reference and
support for this research, it manages to give way to
performance analysis on each LTE-A encoder.
Schemes developed for Simulink simulation and
turbo convolutional coding considered elements of
the conceptual model and are shown in 4 and Fig.
5.

The channel block was modeled as a MIMO 2x2

system establishing a total of two antennas for
transmission followed by a Rayleigh channel, in the
second stage the AWGN channel introduces
Gaussian Noise to generate uncertainty in the
channel, where is possible to configure the bit
energy to noise density ratio (Eb/No).
Subsequently, the reception of the MIMO channel is
located, where the number of antennas is
established [12][13].

At the end, in the reception block is the demodulator

that depends on the type of modulation previously

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a. Binary Bernoulli Generator.

This block generates random binary numbers using
a Bernoulli distribution, transmitting zeros with
probability P and ones with probability 1-P, P was
setting on 0.5 to maximum uncertainty.

b. General CRC Generator (CRC).

CRC is block for cyclic redundancy bits generation
based on a rule given by the generator polynomial
for each frame of input data by adding a tail that
contains relevant information for the receiver to
detect the presence of errors. This block accepts an
input signal of the binary vector column in the
simulation model.

c. Convolutional encoder.
The convolutional coding block, encodes a
sequence of binary input vectors to produce a
sequence of binary output vectors.

d. Turbo Coding simulation.

The proposed coding scheme turbo shown in Fig
consists of the concatenation of two convolutional
encoders; to one of them, a convolutional
interleaver is applied.

e. Convolutional interleaver
Fig. 4. LTE Convolutional coding simulation The Convolutional Interleaver block permutes the
scheme. symbols in the input signal. Internally, it uses a set
of shift registers. The delay value of the kth shift
register is (k-1) times the Register length step
parameter. The number of shift registers is the
value of the Rows of shift registers parameter.

Fig. 6. Turbo coding simulation.

Fig. 5. LTE Turbo coding simulation scheme.
f. Rectangular QAM Modulator of bandbase.
The Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) is a
2.5. Elements specifications of conceptual block that transforms N bits in M possible symbols
model. according to a constellation M-QAM, the study
considers 16, 64 and 256 for M value.

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o Combine Inputs using Orthogonal Space- in the receptor and the total bits transmitted for the
Time Block code, (OSTBC) encoder. source.
Encodes input message with Code Block
Orthogonal Temporary Space (OSTBC) scheme.
1. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
g. Channel 3 x 2 MIMO fading.
Simulates the baseband of a Rayleigh’s In this section the results of the simulations carried
propagation channel performing multipath fading. out in the proposed model are presented.

h. AWGN Channel. Table 1 shows the configuration of the parameters

AWGN Channel block adds Gaussian noise to a used to evaluate the coding schemes performance.
complex input signal given by predecessor block.
Table 1. Parameters established in the simulations.
i. OSTBC Combiner.
Parameters Values
It combines the input signal and the channel
Number of sent bits 1000 bps
estimate signal to extract the soft information of the
[1 1 zeros (1, 16) 1
symbols that were encoded using an Orthogonal CRC generator polynomial
1 0 0 0 1 1]
Space-Time Block code (OSTBC). A symbol
Generator polynomial poly2trellis (3, [7 3
demodulator or decoder would follow the combiner
encoder / decoder 5]) (code-rate 1/3)
block in a MIMO communications system.
Modulation type 16, 64, 256 QAM
Numer of bits per symbol 4, 6, 8
j. Rectangular QAM Baseband Demodulator.
Turbo codification
The QAM baseband demodulator performs Coding type
or convolutional
recovery of symbols adjusting the received symbols
Decoder type Viterbi’s decoder
with the reference constellation.
Energy-per-bit / spectral
noise power density 0:1:35 dB
k. Turbo decoder. (Eb/No)
A Viterbi decoder and a deinterleaver blocks were Number of repetitions 10
used to recover and organize the bits that are
available in the receiver.
l. Viterbi’s decoder.
It decodes input symbols to produce binary output To achieve a more detailed analysis of the variables
symbols, processes the symbols serially according and a comparison of the encoders, normalization
to the rule set in the encoder and considering the was used in data throughput, taking the higher bit
propagation delay of bits. rate and divided by each bit rate obtained, resulting
in values between zero and one.
m. Error Rate Calculation
This block compares the input data with the output The execution of simulation results in average BER
data, getting the BER of the system. values on Fig. 7 and normalized throughput and on
Figure 8, for 16, 64 and 256 QAM modulations
n. Performance analysis schemes.
The throughput of each simulation is the effective
bit rate transmitted to terminal per unit time, the
effective rate for this simulation model is related to
the efficiency of bits sent. The throughput of the link
is established with the equation (1).

R=( 1−BER )∗log 2 ( M ) (1)

The BER evaluation was performed with Bertool

toolbox of MATLAB®, which is responsible for
producing the performance curve, the BER is
calculated by the ratio between the erroneous bits

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codificador turbo para este tipo de modulación. Este

resultado da para analizar acerca del uso del
codificador convolucional para la nueva generación
5G de telecomunicaciones que aun esta en
investigación, ademas para el uso de redes 4G que
aun no se han implementado en algunos paises.

Fig. 7. BER curves for modulation and coding

schemes of the study.

Fig. 9. 16 QAM Modulation BER Curve

Fig. 8. Normalized throughput curves for modulation

and coding schemes of study.

According to Fig. 9, corresponding to 16 QAM

modulation BER curve, it shows that the
convolutional encoder has the best performance Fig. 10. 16 QAM Modulation Throughput Curve.
beginning with 10 dB. Figure 10 corresponds to
The Figure 11 shows the BER behavior with 64
normalized throughput, as in the previous case, the
QAM modulator for the coding schemes selected, it
convolutional encoder has the best performance
is seen that the turbo encoder responds to this type
starting form 5 dB. The results show that for a
of modulation with higher performance beginning
relative low density modulation is suitable to use a
form 10dB, although the difference between the
low complexity encoder. Es decir que el codificador
convolutional encoder and turbo is not significant.
convolucional funciona con mas eficacia que un

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The Fig. 12 presents the normalized throughput

curve where the bit rate achieved by the turbo coder
is larger than the convolutional encoder in a range
of 0 to 20 dB, establishing that the turbo encoder
has the best performance in 64QAM modulation,
the convolution encoder reach the turbo encoder
with a minimal difference in the range of 20 to 35
dB, so the convolutional encoder demands better
channel conditions to get the best performance.

Para este tipo de modulación se observa mejoria en

el desempeño del turbo codificador evidenciando
que al aumentar el nivel de modulación se va a
necesitar de un codificador mas robusto para no
perder tanta información y mejorar las curvas de
desempeño.

Fig. 12. 64 QAM Modulation Throughput Curve.

Fig. 13, exhibits the BER curve with 256 QAM

modulation. It is observed that the turbo encoder is
more efficient in a range of 26 to 35 dB, allowing the
turbo encodercoding to perform the best processing
error correction, the convolutional encoder has a
similar response in a range between 0 and 20 dB,
so the turbo encoder is best suited for this type of
modulation, considering the typical values of Eb/No
of OFDMA systems, and the convolution encoder
doesn´t get acceptable BER values staying
suspended in an approximate value of 10-3.
.

Fig. 11. 64 QAM Modulation BER Curve.

The Fig. 12 presents the normalized throughput

curve where the bit rate achieved by the turbo coder
is larger than the convolutional encoder in a range
of 0 to 20 dB, establishing that the turbo encoder
has the best performance in 64QAM modulation,
the convolution encoder reach the turbo encoder
with a minimal difference in the range of 20 to 35
dB, so the convolutional encoder demands better
channel conditions to get the best performance.

Fig. 13. 256 QAM Modulation BER Curve.

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Fi4 corresponds to the normalized throughput,
where in Eb/No the range of 0 to 5 dB turbo
encoder has a better performance, whereas the
convolutional encoder gets the best response in
the Eb/No range of 5 to 20 dB.
Fig. 14. 256 QAM Modulation Throughput Curve.
Se observa que para modulaciones mas robustas se
necesita de un codificador con caracteristicas que
puedan obtener mejor corrección de errors al
enviar la información. Para el caso de 256 QAM la
investigación arroja resultados favorables para el
turbo codificador y para modulaciones bajas como
16 QAM es mejor un codificador convencional
como lo es el codificador convolucional.
2. CONCLUSIONS
Simulation schemes allows to represent the LTE-A
link level system behavior considering the
transformation processes experienced by
transmission bits and the recovery process that
occurs in the receiver, focusing on evaluation of
convolutional and turbo coding schemes. After
evaluating the performance was determined that
relatively low modulations density as 16 QAM it is
recommended that convolutional encoders be
implemented, but when the bit rate is required for
higher CQI reports that use 64 and 256 QAM
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modulations, turbo codes present the best
performance.
Fig. 14. 256 QAM Modulation Throughput Curve.
From the analysis of the BER and throughput
curves obtained in simulations carried out was
possible to determine the relevance of coding
scheme to achieve the performance goals of LTE-A
systems.
For future work, it is suggested to perform the
turbo coding and convolutional level based on
LTE-A system and likewise able to identify
shortcomings in the performance in several EU
after this researchinvestigate other computational
tools that support downlink system level of LTE-
A.
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