Impact of Timing Synchronization Errors on MC-DCSK Systems over Wireless Channels: A Performance Study

In this paper, we study the impact of timing synchronization errors on the performance of Multicarrier Differential Chaos Shift Keying systems over wireless channels. Considering the challenges posed by selective-frequency Rayleigh fading and multipath propagation, we analyze the system’s performance under random timing errors and fading effects. Using analytical modeling, including probability density functions for fading coefficients and truncated density functions for timing synchronization errors, the Bit Error Rate (BER) performance is derived. Numerical simulations validate the theoretical findings and highlight critical system parameters that influence robustness. Our results demonstrate that timing synchronization errors significantly degrade BER performance, particularly under harsh wireless channel conditions. To mitigate this degradation, we analyze and evaluate the effect of timing errors and related parameters on system performance, identifying technical solutions such as increasing the receiver sampling frequency within the chip duration and selecting an optimal spreading factor. These findings provide valuable insight into the design of more resilient noncoherent chaos-based communication systems.