Communication system with link margin control and method

摘要

In a communication system (10), a receiving node (14) estimates bit error rate (BER) and the accuracy of the BER estimate based upon a single burst of a data communication signal (12). An appropriate decision rule (92) is selected (90) in response to the BER accuracy estimate. Different decision rules (92) are available to bias different decisions to favor desired outcomes. The bias is configured in response to the BER accuracy estimate. The selected decision rule (92) is evaluated (96) in view of an estimated BER. In response to this evaluation, a transmitting node (14) may be instructed (104) to increase or decrease its transmit power level. In addition, the BER may be measured, and the measurement used to verify the appropriateness of the decision rules (92).