DOI: 10.11648/j.ijssn.20251301.12 ISSN: 2329-1788

Adaptive Modulation and Coding Control Based on Human Body Channel Characteristics Under Different WBAN Scenarios

Dairoku Muramatsu
Show PDF Cite
Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) enables continuous health monitoring by interconnecting wearable and implantable sensors, but their links suffer from strongly scenario-dependent human-body propagation effects that conventional physical-layer (PHY) designs do not address. Most prior studies assess limited WBAN links, so a unified strategy that spans all scenarios remains missing. This work presents a comprehensive adaptation framework across all three IEEE 802.15.6ma communication scenarios with minimal feedback overhead, ensuring consistent performance under diverse channel conditions. This study aims to maximize WBAN throughput by adaptively selecting the modulation and coding scheme according to channel characteristics unique to three IEEE 802.15.6ma communication scenarios: 21 MHz on-body, 400 MHz in-body, and 2.4 GHz off-body. By leveraging finite-difference time-domain analysis on a detailed whole-body voxel model combined with a compact hybrid antenna, we capture realistic, wideband channel responses that reflect both on-skin and implanted device environments. Wide-band channel responses were first obtained with finite-difference time-domain analysis of the whole-body voxel model combined with a compact hybrid antenna that integrates galvanic electrodes and patch radiators. The channel responses were fed into link-level simulations covering BPSK, QPSK, GMSK and 16-QAM, with and without BCH (63, 51) coding. QPSK was most efficient at mid-range SNR, whereas coded 16-QAM became superior once E<sub>b</sub>/N<sub>0</sub> exceeded roughly 10 dB, boosting off-body throughput by up to 35%. Applying simple E<sub>b</sub>/N<sub>0</sub> thresholds (≈ 6-13 dB) to switch between QPSK and coded 16-QAM almost doubled the data rate versus a fixed conservative scheme while still meeting the error-free requirement of medical telemetry. These results highlight the practical benefits of our adaptive control approach for real-world WBAN deployments, including reduced power consumption and simplified transceiver design.

More from our Archive