Turbo-Decoding of a convolutionally encoded OCDMA System

We present a novel multiple access scheme for Passive Optical Networks (PON) based on optical Code Division Multiple Access (OCDMA). Different from existing proposals for implementing OCDMA, we replaced the predominating orthogonal or weakly correlated signature codes (e.g. Walsh-Hadamard codes (WHC)) by convolutional codes. Thus CDMA user separation and forward error correction (FEC) are combined. The transmission of the coded bits over the multiple access fiber is carried through optical BPSK. This requires electrical field strength detection rather than direct detection (DD) at the receiver end. Since orthogonality gets lost, we have to employ a multiuser receiver to overcome the inherently strong correlation. Computational complexity of multiuser detection is the major challenge and we show how complexity can be reduced by applying the turbo principle known from soft-decoding of concatenated codes. The convergence behavior of the iterative multiuser receiver is investigated by means of extrinsic information transfer charts (EXIT-chart). Finally, we present simulation results of bit error ratio (BER) vs. signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) including a standard single mode fiber in order to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed scheme compared to those using orthogonal spreading techniques.