Communications Blockset

Comparing Baseband and Passband Simulation

This section uses a pair of examples to illustrate the differences between baseband and passband methods for conducting BER analysis. This section presents the passband case first because it might be more familiar to you. However, the equivalent baseband simulation, presented second, offers many advantages over the passband simulation. Compared to the passband simulation, the baseband simulation

• Takes much less time to process the same number of symbols. Furthermore, baseband simulation can use frame-based processing to make the simulation even faster.
• Achieves the same error rate.
• Is less likely to suffer from poor choices of parameters.

This discussion comprises these sections:

• Running a Passband Simulation
• Running an Equivalent Baseband Simulation
• Generating Error Curves
• Speed of Baseband Versus Passband Models
• Comparing Baseband and Passband Signals
• Troubleshooting a Passband Simulation

To learn the mathematical differences between baseband and passband representations of a signal, see Baseband Modulated Signals Defined or a basic communications textbook.

Aligning Words of a Concatenated Code

Running a Passband Simulation