Optimizing CDMA Performance for Harsh Wireless Channels: Energy Adaptation and Predictive BER Analysis for Nuclear Communication Environments

Ali, Elsayed H.; Kasban, Hany; El Tokhy, Mohamed S.; Fayed, Ibrahim M.

doi:10.21608/ajnsa.2025.402798.1892

Optimizing CDMA Performance for Harsh Wireless Channels: Energy Adaptation and Predictive BER Analysis for Nuclear Communication Environments

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Engineering, Nuclear Research Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority

² Engineering Department, NRC, Atomic Energy Authority, P. No. 13759, Inshas, Egypt

³ Network Planning Department, National Telecommunication Institute (NTI), Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/ajnsa.2025.402798.1892

Abstract

This manuscript presents a comprehensive framework for optimizing Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) performance in harsh wireless channels, with a specific focus on nuclear communication environments characterized by severe, non-Gaussian noise. We propose and derive novel closed-form analytical expressions for two critical Quality of Service (QoS) parameters: Mean Transmitter Energy Gain (MTEG) and Bit Error Rate (BER), under generalized fading conditions, including Exponential, Weibull, and Nakagami-m distributions. Our analysis identifies an optimal operating point, revealing that the MTEG is minimized at a channel degradation of 0.2 dB, representing a crucial trade-off between energy efficiency and transmission robustness. For error performance, the average and predicted BER are rigorously analyzed, demonstrating that the number of subcarriers has a negligible impact on BER at a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of 1 dB, while performance is significantly influenced by modulation constants and fading parameters. A key finding is the consistent superiority of uncoded CDMA over its coded counterpart in the studied interference-limited regime. To bridge the gap between theory and practice, we extend the analysis to real-world nuclear industrial settings by transmitting experimentally acquired signals Residence Time Distribution (RTD) curves and gamma scanning profiles using CDMA schemes. These empirical signals, measured via scintillation detectors, introduce structured, non-Gaussian noise that deviates profoundly from standard Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) and Rayleigh fading assumptions. Comparative results across BPSK, QPSK, and 16QAM modulations, with and without convolutional coding, demonstrate that while real nuclear noise degrades performance, adaptive strategies informed by our models can maintain reliability.

Keywords