Optimized Irregular Low-Density Parity-Check Codes for Multicarrier Modulations over Frequency-Selective Channels

This paper deals with optimized channel coding for OFDM transmissions (COFDM) over frequency-selective channels using irregular low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. Firstly, we introduce a new characterization of the LDPC code irregularity called “irregularity profile.” Then, using this parameterization, we derive a new criterion based on the minimization of the transmission bit error probability to design an irregular LDPC code suited to the frequency selectivity of the channel. The optimization of this criterion is done using the Gaussian approximation technique. Simulations illustrate the good performance of our approach for different transmission channels.