International Journal of Electrical & Computer Sciences IJECS-IJENS Vol: 10 No: 04
BER Performance Analysis of a Real Data Communication through WiMAX-PHY
Layer over an AWGN and Fading Channels
A. Md. Anamul Islam
Dept. of Applied Physics and Electronic Engineering
Rajshahi University, Rajshahi-6205
Bangladesh
e-mail: ziltu57@yahoo.com
C. Md. Julkarnain
Dept. of Applied Physics and Electronic Engineering
Rajshahi University, Rajshahi-6205
Bangladesh
e-mail: jnain.apee@ru.ac.bd
Abstract— the emergence of WiMAX has attracted significant
interests from all the fields of wireless communications
including students, researchers, systems engineers and
operators. The WiMAX can also be considered to be the main
technology in the implementation of other networks like
wireless sensor networks. Developing an understanding of the
WiMAX system can be best achieved by looking at a model of
the WiMAX system. This paper discusses the model building of
the WiMAX Physical layer using computer Matlab 7.5 version.
This model is a useful tool for BER performance evaluation for
the real audio data communication by the WiMAX Physical
layer under different channel encoding rates, digital
modulation schemes and channel conditions. With the
performance investigation of the system, the modulation
schemes BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, 16PSK, 4QAM and 16QAM are
introduced besides ½ and 2/3-rated convolutional encoder
under AWGN, Rayleigh and Rician fading channels. The
model presented in this paper built with the Physical Layer
using Convolutional Encoding Rate of ½ and 2/3 and
transmitted with 256 carrier OFDM symbols. Computer
simulation results on BER over an Additative White Gaussian
Noise(AWGN) and other fading (Raleigh and Rician) channels
demonstrate that the proposed system outperform with BPSK
modulation technique as compared to other digital modulation
schemes and the system is highly effective to combat inherent
interferences under Rayleigh and Rician fading channels. It
has been anticipated from the simulation study with real audio
data that the performance of the communication system
degrades with the increasing of noise power.
Keywords- Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave access
(WiMAX). Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
(OFDM), Bit error rate (BER), Additative White Gaussian Noise
(AWGN), and Physical layers (PHY).
I. INTRODUCTION
IEEE 802.16, a solution to broadband wireless access
(BWA) commonly known as Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access (WiMAX), is a recent wireless
13
B. Md. Abdul Kader
Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering
Khulna University of Engineering and Technology,
Khulna-9203, Bangladesh
e-mail: mailtoabdulkader@yahoo.com
broadband standard that has promised high bandwidth over
long-range transmission. The standard specifies the air
interface, including the medium access control (MAC) and
physical (PHY) layers, of BWA. The key development in the
PHY layer includes Orthogonal Frequency-Division
Multiplexing (OFDM), in which multiple accesses are
achieved by assigning a subset of sub carriers to each
individual user.
In an OFDM system, the data is divided into multiple
parallel sub streams at a reduced data rate, and each is
modulated and transmitted on a separate orthogonal
subcarrier. This increases symbol duration and improves
system robustness. OFDM is achieved by providing
multiplexing on users’ data streams on both uplink and
downlink transmissions. First published in 2001, the IEEE
802.16 standard specified a frequency range of 10–66 GHz
with a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 120 Mb/s and
maximum transmission range of 50 km. However, the initial
standard only supports line-of-sight (LOS) transmission and
thus does not seem to favor deployment in urban areas. A
variant of the standard, IEEE 802.16a-2003, approved in
April 2003, can support non-LOS (NLOS) transmission and
adopts OFDM at the PHY layer. It also adds support for the
2–11GHz range. One of the main problems in the earlier
draft of IEEE 802.16 is that it covers too many profiles and
PHY layers, which can lead to potential interoperability
problems [1].
The WiMAX standard 802.16e provides fixed, nomadic,
portable and mobile wireless broadband connectivity without
the need for direct line-of-sight with the base station. It is
different from the previous versions of the standard in the
sense that 802.16e adds the feature of mobility to the
wireless broadband standard [2].
 International Journal of Electrical & Computer Sciences IJECS-IJENS Vol: 10 No: 04 14

The goal of this work is to implement and simulate the • WirelessMAN OFDMA, a 2,048-point FFT-based
OFDM Physical layer. Using different digital modulation OFDMA PHY for point-to-multipoint operations in NLOS
schemes and FEC technique the performance of WiMAX conditions at frequencies between 2GHz and 11GHz. In the
physical layer is analyzed based on the simulation results of IEEE 802.16e-2005 specifications, this PHY layer has been
Bit-Error-Rate (BER) and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). The modified to SOFDMA (scalable OFDMA), where the FFT
performance analysis of OFDMA-PHY is done in size is variable and can take any one of the following values:
MATLAB 7.5 under AWGN and fading channel models 128, 512, 1,024, and 2,048. The variable FFT size allows for
with varies FEC rates. optimum operation/implementation of the system over a
wide range of channel bandwidths and radio conditions. This
The paper is organized as follows: in Section II, PHY layer has been accepted by WiMAX for mobile and
description of physical layer of the WiMAX is introduced. portable operations and is also referred to as mobile WiMAX
Detailed description of simulated model is presented in [5].
Section III. Simulation results are given in Section IV.
Finally conclusions are reflected in Section V. III. MODEL OF WIMAX PHY-LAYER
The Model itself consists of three main components
namely transmitter, receiver and channel. Transmitter and
II. PHY LAYER OF WIMAX receiver components consist of channel coding and
The WiMAX physical layer is based on orthogonal modulation sub-components whereas channels are modeled
frequency division multiplexing. OFDM is the transmission as AWGN and fading channels. Figure 1 shows the basic
scheme of choice to enable high-speed data, video, and simulation model of WiMAX-PHY Layer.
multimedia communications and is used by a variety of
commercial broadband systems, including DSL, Wi-Fi,
Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), and Recorded Audio Retrieved
MediaFLO, besides WiMAX. OFDM is an elegant and Signal Audio signal
efficient scheme for high data rate transmission in a non-
line-of-sight or multipath radio environment.
PCM PCM
Encoder Decoder
The physical (PHY) layer of WiMAX is based on the
IEEE 802.16-2004 and IEEE 802.16e-2005 standards and
was designed with much influence from Wi-Fi, especially Convolution Convolution
IEEE 802.11a. Although many aspects of the two Encoder Decoder
technologies are different due to the inherent difference in
their purpose and applications, some of their basic constructs
Interleaver Deinterleaver
are very similar. Like Wi-Fi, WiMAX is based on the
principles of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
(OFDM) as previously introduced in above which is a
suitable modulation/access technique for non–line-of-sight Digital Digital
(LOS) conditions with high data rates. In WiMAX, however, Modulation Demodulation
the various parameters pertaining to the physical layer, such
as number of subcarriers, pilots, guard band and so on, are
S/P Converter P/S Converter
The IEEE 802.16 suite of standards (IEEE 802.16-
2004/IEEE 802-16e-2005) [3, 4] defines within its scope for
PHY layers, any of which can be used with the media access Multicarrier Multicarrier
control (MAC) layer to develop a broadband wireless Modulator (IFFT) Demodulator (FFT)
system. The PHY layers defined in IEEE 802.16 are

• WirelessMAN SC, a single-carrier PHY layer intended Cyclic Prefix Cyclic Prefix
for frequencies beyond 11GHz requiring a LOS condition. Insertion Removal
This PHY layer is part of the original 802.16 specifications.
P/S Converter
• WirelessMAN OFDM, a 256-point FFT-based OFDM S/P Converter
PHY layer for point-to-multipoint operations in non-LOS
conditions at frequencies between 2GHz and 11GHz. This Channel
PHY layer, finalized in the IEEE 802.16-2004 specifications,
has been accepted by WiMAX for fixed operations and is Figure 1. Functional stages of WiMAX-PHY layer for audio
often referred to as fixed WiMAX. data communication.
 International Journal of Electrical & Computer Sciences IJECS-IJENS Vol: 10 No: 04 15

The recorded analog audio data is digitized through PCM improved by 4.39 dB. The BER values are 0.183 and 0.5035
encoder. Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) encoder modifies at SNR of 4 dB. On comparison of Figure 3 with Figure 5, it
the input analog audio pulses by PAM to create a completely is noticeable that the improvement of the system
digital signal. To do so, PCM first quantizes the PAM pulses. performance in 2/3 -rated Convolutional coding is
The results of quantized levels are presented into its 7 binary insignificant (4.39 dB as compared to 15.33 dB) due to
bits. The eighth bit indicates the sign. The processed input Raleigh fading effect. In Figure 6, the system performance
binary data stream is ensured against transmission errors under Rician fading channel with 1/2-rated Convolutional
with Forward Error Correction codes (FEC) and interleaver. coding is improved by 16.26 dB. The BER values are
The encoded bits from the output of a ½-rated 0.01196 and 0.5061 at SNR of 4 dB. In Figure 6, the system
Convolutional encoder are interleaved prior to converted performance with 2/3-rated Convolutional coding is
into each of the either eight complex modulation symbols in improved by 12.06 dB. The BER values are 0.03137 and
BPSK, QPSK, 4QAM, 8PSK, 16PSK and 16QAM 0.5041 at SNR of 4 dB. A critical observation on the
modulation schemes and fed to a multicarrier modulator for graphical illustrations of Figure 5 and Figure 7 in
transmission. In the modulator, the digitally modulated consideration with the combined effects of AWGN with
information symbols are transmitted in parallel on sub- Rayleigh and Rician fading channels confirms that the
carriers through implementation as an inverse discrete improvement of the system performance is linked with the
Fourier transform (IDFT) on a block of information symbols directly transmitted significant wave component considered
followed by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). To in Rician fading model.
mitigate the effects of inter-symbol interference (ISI) caused
by channel time spread, each block of IDFT coefficients is
typically preceded by a cyclic prefix [6, 7]. At the receiver
side, the received signal is multicarrier demodulated, de-
mapped, de-interleaved and then PCM decoded in order to
recover the data transmitted.
IV. RESULTS OF SIMULATION STUDY
Figure 2 through 7 show the BER performance of audio
data communication through WiMAH-PHY layer under six
types of digital modulation schemes on both AWGN and
fading channels. In all the cases, the proposed system
provides degraded performance in 16 PSK and satisfactory
performance in BPSK modulations. In Figure 2, the BER
performances of audio data propagation through WiMAX-
PHY using ½-rated convolutionally coded system under six
digital modulations in AWGN channel. For a typical SNR Figure 2. BER simulations of an audio data through WiMAX-PHY layer
value of 4 dB, the BER values for BPSK and 16PSK using ½-rated Convolutionally encoded system for different modulation
modulations are 0.002035 and 0.5086 respectively viz. the schemes over an AWGN channel
system performance is improved by 23.97 dB. Similarly, in
Figure 3, the system performance with 2/3-rated
Convolutional coding is improved by 15.33 dB for a typical
SNR value of 4 dB and the corresponding BER values are
0.0189 and 0.5086. It is mentionable here that the BER for
BPSK modulation approaches zero above the SNR values of
5 and 9dB in case of 1/2-rated and 2/3-rated Convolutional
coding, respectively. The system shows almost flat degraded
performance for a wide value of SNR (0-10dB using ½-rated
coding and 0-12dB for 2/3-rated coding) with implemented
16PSK modulation. For a typically considered SNR value
(4dB) and two digital modulations (BPSK and 16PSK) for
comparative study, the performance under Rayleigh channel
of the ½-rated Convolutionally coded system is improved by
11.34 dB and the BER values are 0.03705 and 0..505(Figure
4). The BER approaches zero above 12 dB SNR for BPSK
modulation. This result is taken at 100Hz of Doppler shift
and it is clearly found from the Figure 4 that the system Figure 3. BER simulations of an audio data through WiMAX-PHY layer
using 2/3-rated Convolutionally encoded system for different modulation
performance for 16QAM degrades compare to 16PSK using schemes over an AWGN channel
the typical Doppler shift. Thus the Doppler shift affects the
BER performance of the system. In Figure 5, the system
performance with 2/3-rated Convolutional coding is
 International Journal of Electrical & Computer Sciences IJECS-IJENS Vol: 10 No: 04 16

Figure 4. BER simulations of an audio data through WiMAX-PHY Figure 7. BER simulations of an audio data through WiMAX-PHY
layer using 1/2-rated Convolutionally encoded system for different layer using 2/3-rated Convolutionally encoded system for different
modulation schemes over frequency-flat Rayleigh fading and AWGN modulation schemes over frequency-flat Rayleigh fading and AWGN
channel at 100Hz of Doppler shift channel at 100Hz of Doppler shift

V. CONCLUSIONS
The BER performance of the real audio data
communication through broadband WiMAX-PHY layer
based wireless communication system adopting the
Convolutional channel coding and different digital
modulation schemes. A range of system performance
highlights the impact of digital modulations under
Convolutional coding under AWGN and fading channels. In
the context of system performance, it can be concluded that
the implementation of BPSK modulation with half (½) rated
channel coding technique provides satisfactory result among
the digital modulation schemes with limited SNR.

Figure 5. BER simulations of an audio data through WiMAX-PHY REFERENCES

layer using 2/3-rated Convolutionally encoded system for different
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[3] IEEE. Standard 802.16-2004, Part 16, June 2004: “Air interface for
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[4] IEEE. Standard 802.16-2004, Part 16, December 2005: “Air interface
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[5] Jeffrey G. Andrews, Arunabha Ghosh and Rias Muhamud, 2007:
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Figure 6. BER simulations of an audio data through WiMAX-PHY

layer using 1/2-rated Convolutionally encoded system for different
modulation schemes over frequency-flat Rician fading and AWGN
channel at 100Hz of Doppler shift