Real-time channel emulation for mobile communication test beds

This article describes a methodology to model in real-time the channel quality variations for mobile communication systems. This method was used to implement a GSM hardware test bed employed to demonstrate the improved perceived voice quality obtained with link adaptation. Real-time operation is achieved by use of a large error pattern database, derived for time varying channel models. The modular design of the demonstrator and the reusability of the database enable a relatively straightforward extension to conduct novel multi-channel link level investigations. The proposed methodology can be adapted for a range of radio interfaces.