Channel Coding (Signals and Communication Technology)

This book offers an extensive guide to classical and modern coding theory.  Mainly addressed to graduate students, scientists and engineers, it may also be used to teach advanced undergraduates. It starts with an introduction to channels, metrics, and information theory fundamentals providing the essential background to understand the more advanced topics covered later. The core of the book offers a complete treatment of block and convolutional codes, including important decoding algorithms. Coding types are described together with the corresponding coded modulation and shaping methods. Trellises for block codes are introduced as well as modern coding schemes such as Turbo, LDPC, and Polar Codes. Network coding and lattices are also briefly described. Finally, this book also includes an extensive set of exercises, questions, and solutions, which will facilitate understanding and self-learning.

Werner Henkel received his Diploma and Dr.-Ing. (Ph.D.) degree from Darmstadt University of Technology (TUD) in May 1984 and June 1989, respectively. After that, he worked at Deutsche Telekom’s R&D Labs in Darmstadt. During this time, he spent a sabbatical at AT&T Bell Laboratories (later Lucent). In turn, he continued his career at the Telecommunications Research Center Vienna and achieved a professorship at the City University Bremen. He taught Coding Theory at this University, and at the universities of Kaiserslautern and Vienna, alike. Since September 2003 he has been a professor for electrical engineering at Constructor University, formerly Jacobs University and International University of Bremen chairing the ECE program from its existence until 2022. He was elected Dean from April 2012 to June 2014. He had visiting positions at Old Dominion University (ODU), in Norfolk, Virginia and at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen, Denmark, in Spring 2015 and Fall 2025, respectively. Dr. Henkel was involved in organizing or serving on the technical program committees of: ISIT 1997, IEEE J-SAC, June 2002, International Zurich Seminar 2004, EUSIPCO 2004 and 2007, ICC 2006, 2017 - 2025, CNS 2025, Turbo Symposia (ISTC) 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018. 2020/21, 2023, IWCMC 2022 Sec. Symp., GC 2022 WS ‘5GBeyond’, INFOCOM Wireless-Sec 2023, Globecom 2024 IEEE NExtG Wisec, and SampTA 2013. During his career, he has published on the following topics: coding, iterative decoding, unequal error protection, coded modulation, joint source-channel coding, network coding, frame synchronization, channel modeling, impulse noise, DSL, power-line communication, single- and multicarrier transmission, multi-user communication, MIMO, DNA analysis, physical-layer security, and TEMPEST. Moreover, he has been teaching the following courses: Coding Theory; Information Theory; Data Compression, Compressive Sensing, and Modern Coding; Digital Signal Processing; Signals & Systems; Digital Communication, Wireline Communication (DSL). Other courses include Measurement Automation; Circuits; and Statistical Analysis and Simulation.