The error performance of multiple-symbol differential detection of uncoded QPSK signals transmitted over correlated Rayleigh fading channels is studied. The optimal detector is presented, along with an exact expression for the corresponding pairwise error event probability. It is shown that multiple-symbol differential detection is a very effective strategy for eliminating the irreducible error floor associated with a conventional differential detector. In all of the cases investigated, a detector with an observation interval as small as two symbols is sufficient for this purpose. It is also found that the error performance of a multiple-symbol differential detector is not sensitive to the mismatch between the decoding metric and the channel fading statistics.>

The authors derive an exact and easily computed expression for the pairwise error event probability of interleaved coded PSK modulations transmitted over channels with correlated Rayleigh flat fading and additive white Gaussian noise. Both coherent and differential detection are considered. In the case of coded DPSK, it is found that full interleaving does not necessarily provide the best error performance, especially when the fading is relatively fast and when the autocorrelation function of the channel fading process exhibits an oscillating behavior. For coherent detection or for differential detection in channels with relatively slow fading, increasing the interleaving depth always improves the error performance. In these cases, an interleaving depth equivalent to one-fifth to one-quarter the duration of a fade cycle is almost as good as full interleaving.>