In this paper, we study a new class of Low Density Parity Check codes, designed for satellite communications, and achieving both high spectral efficiency and large coding gain. Given a constant-envelope 8-PSK constellation, a generic linear binary code does not lead to a geometrically uniform Euclidean-space code. Low Density Parity Check codes over Z_8, the group of integers modulo 8, are considered. When applied to 8-PSK, they generate geometrically uniform Euclidean space codes: distance profile and word error probability are the same for each transmitted codeword. These properties highly simplify both design and analysis. Some insights on code design, encoding, decoding, and simulated performance are provided.

A new hard iterative decoding algorithm to decode the serial concatenation of two block codes separated by an interleaver is presented. The new scheme is based on the use of erasures as a sort of extrinsic information to be exchanged between the two decoders. Extensive simulations highlight the coding gain of the new algorithm with respect to standard hard iterative decoding.

We consider the application of concatenated codes with interleaver and iterative decoding to optical communication systems. We show how to obtain the optimum log-likelihood ratio to be provided to the soft decoder in the optical channel environment, and compare the performance of a decoder using it with the one employing a Gaussian approximation of the optical channel. Simulation results refer to practical turbo-product codes, and encompass the effect of quantization on the log-likelihood ratio. The results show that the Gaussian assumption in computing the log-likelihood ratio for the optical channel leads to significant losses.

We present in this paper a novel accurate method to analyze the performance of an optical link where the amplified spontaneous emission noise, enhanced by a fiber nonlinear phenomenon called parametric gain, is the limiting factor. Our method allows us to compute the exact error probability given a generic noise spectral density at the input of a direct detection optical receiver, using arbitrary optical and electrical filters. We compare our results with those predicted using the standard Gaussian technique (based on the Q factor), showing that this approximation may lead to significant errors. Our method is then used to evaluate the impact of parametric gain on a realistic long-haul multiwavelength link operating at 10 Gb/s, showing both the system limitation imposed by this phenomenon and the inaccuracy of the Q factor method.

A novel method to evaluate the bit error rate (BER) in optical links is described. It analyzes systems limited by amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise, enhanced by the non-linear parametric gain (PG) effect, and allows one to compute the exact error probability, given a generic optical noise spectral density at the input of a direct detection optical receiver. The method has been employed to evaluate the impact of PG on a 10 Gb/s per channel long-haul multi-wavelength system. It has also been used to show how the system performance evaluation based on the Q-factor Gaussian approximation may lead to erroneous BER evaluations.