Analysis of turbo code and FPGA application

The main aim of communication systems is to develop technologies andalgorithms, that have relatively low computational cost and high efficiency.Therefore, optimal encoding and transmission with minimum noise and error ratesshould be achieved. After Shannon?s limit was determined theoretically, variouscommunication algorithms have been developed. This limit provides the highestefficiency that can be obtained in a communication system. Turbo Code algorithmhas been the most successful one and provided the highest encoding gain intheory among these algorithms. Encoding gain and Shannon limits that will bedeemed as a reference for communication systems are important performancemeasures.In this study, the FPGA-based turbo codes for communication systems has beenimplemented. Turbo decoder structure,is carried out by using the MAP algorithm.Signal-to-noise ratio and error rates are main performance measures to compare.Practical application is developed on FPGA circuit, namely the Altera DE1 FPGAkit. The performance results of the decoding algorithm are analyzed in details. Theintegration level and co-efficiency of Turbo coding structures and FPGAtechnology have been studied as well. To evaluate the performance of turbocoding, new approaches are developed, and used to improve the codingperformance with different interleavers. The sturucture of interleavers and theirimpact on coding performance are also investigated.KEY WORDS: Turbo coding, FPGA, Interleaver, VHDL, MAPAdvisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Dogan, Baskent University, Department ofElectrical and Electronics Enginee