Some Notes on Phase Noise Generation and the Impact on DVB-S2x Waveforms

Abstract

Designing a communication link, one has to take into account that phase noise might cause a significant degradation of the error performance. Depending on the scenario, it can be particularly challenging to mitigate the influence of this sort of impairment, which is mainly due to its random walk property. In this context, the shaping of phase noise is an important task throughout the simulation phase of a project. Using several masks recommended for satellite communications, we discuss two major modeling methods with respect to their accuracy and computational complexity: the first one is based on discrete Fourier transforms, the second one uses a bank of recursive filters. Furthermore, we address the limitations to mitigate the impact of phase noise by means of a tracking module. Finally, the performance degradation of a DVB-S2x implementation is illustrated, which has been investigated in the framework of several projects guided by the European Space Agency.