Throughput-Delay Tradeoffs With Finite Blocklength Coding Over Multiple Coherence Blocks

This paper investigates the performance of wireless systems that employ finite-blocklength channel codes for transmission and operate under queuing constraints in the form of limitations on buffer overflow or delay violation probabilities. A block fading model, in which fading stays constant in each coherence block and changes independently between blocks, is considered. It is assumed that channel coding is performed over multiple coherence blocks. A simple ARQ scheme with error-free feedback without any delay is considered. The channel coding rate with given maximal error probability is considered as the service rate and is incorporated into the effective capacity formulation, which characterizes the maximum constant arrival rate that can be supported under statistical queuing constraints. Performances of variable-rate and fixed-rate transmissions are studied. The optimum error probability for variable-rate and fixed-rate transmissions is shown to be unique. The limiting performance as the number of blocks increases is characterized. The tradeoffs and the interactions between the throughput, the number of coherence blocks over which channel coding is performed, error probabilities, channel coherence duration, and queuing constraints are identified.