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Symbol Error Rate (SER) for 16-QAM

by Krishna Sankar on December 9, 2007

Given that we have went over the symbol error probability for 4-PAM and symbol error rate for
4-QAM , let us extend the understanding to find the symbol error probability for 16-QAM (16
Quadrature Amplitude Modulation). Consider a typical 16-QAM modulation scheme where the
alphabets (Refer example 5-37 in [DIG-COMM-BARRY-LEE-MESSERSCHMITT]).

are used.

The average energy of the 16-QAM constellation is (here). The 16-QAM


constellation is as shown in the figure below

Figure: 16-QAM constellation

Noise model
Assuming that the additive noise follows the Gaussian probability distribution function,

with and .

Computing the probability of error


Consider the symbol in the inside, for example

The conditional probability distribution function (PDF) of given was transmitted is:

As can be seen from the above figure, the symbol is decoded correctly only if falls in the
area in the black hashed region i.e.

Using the equations from (symbol error probability of 4-PAM as reference)

The probability of being decoded incorrectly is,

Consider the symbol in the corner, for example

The conditional probability distribution function (PDF) of given was transmitted is:

As can be seen from the above figure, the symbol is decoded correctly only if falls in the
area in the red hashed region i.e.

Using the equations from (symbol error probability of 4-QAM as reference)


.

The probability of being decoded incorrectly is,

Consider the symbol which is not in the corner OR not in the inside, for example

The conditional probability distribution function (PDF) of given was transmitted is:

As can be seen from the above figure, the symbol is decoded correctly only if falls in the
area in the blue hashed region i.e.

Using the above two cases are reference,

The probability of being decoded incorrectly is,

Total probability of symbol error

Assuming that all the symbols are equally likely (4 in the middle, 4 in the corner and the rest 8),
the total probability of symbol error is,

Simulation model
Simple Matlab/Octave code for generating 16QAM constellation, transmission through AWGN
channel and computing the simulated symbol error rate.

Click here to download : Matlab/Octave script for simulating 16QAM symbol error rate

% Script for simulating 16-QAM transmission and reception and compare the
% simulated and theoretical symbol error probability

% Checked for proper operation with Octave Version 3.0.0


% Author : Krishna
% Email : krishna@dsplog.com
% Version : 1.0
% Date : 9 December 2007
% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

% symbol error rate for 16-QAM modulation

% symbol error rate for 16-QAM modulation


clear
N = 2*10^5; % number of symbols
alpha16qam = [-3 -1 1 3]; % 16-QAM alphabets
Es_N0_dB = [0:20]; % multiple Es/N0 values
ipHat = zeros(1,N);
for ii = 1:length(Es_N0_dB)
ip = randsrc(1,N,alpha16qam) + j*randsrc(1,N,alpha16qam);
s = (1/sqrt(10))*ip; % normalization of energy to 1
n = 1/sqrt(2)*[randn(1,N) + j*randn(1,N)]; % white guassian noise, 0dB
variance

y = s + 10^(-Es_N0_dB(ii)/20)*n; % additive white gaussian noise

% demodulation
y_re = real(y); % real part
y_im = imag(y); % imaginary part

ipHat_re(find(y_re< -2/sqrt(10))) = -3;


ipHat_re(find(y_re > 2/sqrt(10))) = 3;
ipHat_re(find(y_re>-2/sqrt(10) & y_re<=0)) = -1;
ipHat_re(find(y_re>0 & y_re<=2/sqrt(10))) = 1;

ipHat_im(find(y_im< -2/sqrt(10))) = -3;


ipHat_im(find(y_im > 2/sqrt(10))) = 3;
ipHat_im(find(y_im>-2/sqrt(10) & y_im<=0)) = -1;
ipHat_im(find(y_im>0 & y_im<=2/sqrt(10))) = 1;
ipHat = ipHat_re + j*ipHat_im;
nErr(ii) = size(find([ip- ipHat]),2); % couting the number of errors
end

simBer = nErr/N;
theoryBer = 3/2*erfc(sqrt(0.1*(10.^(Es_N0_dB/10))));
close all
figure
semilogy(Es_N0_dB,theoryBer,'b.-','LineWidth',2);
hold on
semilogy(Es_N0_dB,simBer,'mx-','Linewidth',2);
axis([0 20 10^-5 1])
grid on
legend('theory', 'simulation');
xlabel('Es/No, dB')
ylabel('Symbol Error Rate')
title('Symbol error probability curve for 16-QAM modulation')
Figure: Symbol Error Rate curve for 16QAM modulation

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