Multi-set space-time shift-keying with reduced detection complexity

In this treatise, we propose a novel Multi-Set Space-Time Shift Keying (MS-STSK) technique, where the source bits are conveyed over two components, namely by activating one out of MQ dispersion matrices of Space-Time Shift Keying (STSK) and M Antenna Combination (AC) of the Nt available antennas, in a similar fashion to Spatial Modulation (SM) but activating multiple antennas rather than a single antenna. This system requires a smaller number of RF chains than Antenna Elements (AEs) to achieve an improved throughput. We opt for STSK as the main building block of our proposed MS-STSK as a benefit of its design flexibility, where STSK is capable of providing the system with both diversity and multiplexing gains. The proposed MS-STSK system achieves both higher data rates and a lower Bit Error Rate (BER) than the conventional STSK scheme, which is attained at the cost of increased number of antenna elements and a high-speed antenna switch. Furthermore, as the symbol rate of the MS-STSK system increases, its performance compared to the STSK scheme is significantly improved, because of the enhanced diversity introduced by the additional antenna elements. Furthermore, we propose a reduced complexity detector for QAM/PSK constellations, which - despite its reduced complexity - is capable of achieving the same performance as the optimal Maximum Likelihood (ML) detector

Design guidelines for spatial modulation

A new class of low-complexity, yet energyefficient Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) transmission techniques, namely the family of Spatial Modulation (SM) aided MIMOs (SM-MIMO) has emerged. These systems are capable of exploiting the spatial dimensions (i.e. the antenna indices) as an additional dimension invoked for transmitting information, apart from the traditional Amplitude and Phase Modulation (APM). SM is capable of efficiently operating in diverse MIMO configurations in the context of future communication systems. It constitutes a promising transmission candidate for large-scale MIMO design and for the indoor optical wireless communication whilst relying on a single-Radio Frequency (RF) chain. Moreover, SM may also be viewed as an entirely new hybrid modulation scheme, which is still in its infancy. This paper aims for providing a general survey of the SM design framework as well as of its intrinsic limits. In particular, we focus our attention on the associated transceiver design, on spatial constellation optimization, on link adaptation techniques, on distributed/ cooperative protocol design issues, and on their meritorious variants

Space-Time-Frequency Shift Keying for Dispersive Channels

Inspired by the concept of the Space-Time Shift Keying (STSK) modulation, in this paper we proposed the Space-Frequency Shift Keying (SFSK) modulation as well as the Space-Time-Frequency Shift Keying (STFSK) concept which spreads the transmit signal not only across the space and time domains, but also the frequency domain. The performance of STSK modulation is degraded by about 2 dB, when the channel changes from uncorrelated frequency-flat fading to the frequency-selective environment of the 6-tap COST207 model. By contrast, as a benefit of Frequency Shift keying, the SFSK and STFSK schemes are capable of maintaining their performance also in frequency-selective fading environments. Finally, we demonstrate that the STSK and SFSK schemes constitute special cases of the STFSK modulatio

Coherent versus non-coherent decode-and-forward relaying aided cooperative space-time shift keying

Motivated by the recent concept of Space-Time Shift Keying (STSK), we propose a novel cooperative STSK family, which is capable of achieving a flexible rate-diversity tradeoff, in the context of cooperative space-time transmissions. More specifically, we first propose a Coherent cooperative STSK (CSTSK) scheme, where each Relay Node (RN) activates Decode-and-Forward (DF) transmissions, depending on the success or failure of Cyclic Redundancy Checking (CRC). We invoke a bitto- STSK mapping rule, where according to the input bits, one of the Q pre-assigned dispersion vectors is activated to implicitly convey log2(Q) bits, which are transmitted in combination with the classic log2(L)-bit modulated symbol. Additionally, we introduce a beneficial dispersion vector design, which enables us to dispense with symbol-level Inter-Relay Synchronization (IRS). Furthermore, the Destination Node (DN) is capable of jointly detecting the signals received from the source-destination and relay-destination links, using a low-complexity single-stream-based Maximum Likelihood (ML) detector, which is an explicit benefit of our Inter-Element Interference (IEI)-free system model. More importantly, as a benefit of its design flexibility, our cooperative CSTSK arrangement enables us to adapt the number of the RNs, the transmission rate as well as the achievable diversity order. Moreover, we also propose a Differentially-encoded cooperative STSK (DSTSK) arrangement, which dispenses with CSI estimation at any of the nodes, while retaining the fundamental benefits of the cooperative CSTSK scheme

A universal space-time architecture for multiple-antenna aided systems

In this tutorial, we first review the family of conventional multiple-antenna techniques, and then we provide a general overview of the recent concept of the powerful Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) family based on a universal Space-Time Shift Keying (STSK) philosophy. When appropriately configured, the proposed STSK scheme has the potential of outperforming conventional MIMO arrangements

Single-RF spatial modulation requires single-carrier transmission: frequency-domain turbo equalization for dispersive channels

In this paper, we propose a broadband single-carrier (SC) spatial-modulation (SM) based multiple-input multipleoutput (MIMO) architecture relying on a soft-decision (SoD) frequency-domain equalization (FDE) receiver. We demonstrate that conventional orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-based broadband transmissions are not readily suitable for the single–radio frequency (RF) assisted SM-MIMO schemes, since this scheme does not exhibit any substantial performance advantage over single-antenna transmissions. To circumvent this limitation, a low-complexity soft-decision (SoD) FDE algorithm based on the minimum mean-square error (MMSE) criterion is invoked for our broadband SC-based SM-MIMO scheme, which is capable of operating in a strongly dispersive channel having a long channel impulse response (CIR) at a moderate decoding complexity. Furthermore, our SoD FDE attains a near-capacity performance with the aid of a three-stage concatenated SC-based SM architecture

Successive-relaying-aided decode-and-forward coherent versus noncoherent cooperative multicarrier space–time shift keying

Abstract—Successive-relaying-aided (SR) cooperative multi-carrier (MC) space–time shift keying (STSK) is proposed for frequency-selective channels. We invoke SR to mitigate the typical 50% throughput loss of conventional half-duplex relaying schemes and MC code-division multiple access (MC-CDMA) to circumvent the dispersive effects of wireless channels and to reduce the SR-induced interference. The distributed relay terminals form two virtual antenna arrays (VAAs), and the source node (SN) successively transmits frequency-domain (FD) spread signals to one of the VAAs, in addition to directly transmitting to the destination node (DN). The constituent relay nodes (RNs) of each VAA activate cyclic-redundancy-checking-based (CRC) selective decode-and-forward (DF) relaying. The DN can jointly detect the signals received via the SN-to-DN and VAA-to-DN links using a low-complexity single-stream-based joint maximum-likelihood (ML) detector. We also propose a differentially encoded cooperative MC-CDMA STSK scheme to facilitate communications over hostile dispersive channels without requiring channel estimation (CE). Dispensing with CE is important since the relays cannot be expected to altruistically estimate the SN-to-RN links for simply supporting the source. Furthermore, we propose soft-decision-aided serially concatenated recursive systematic convolutional (RSC) and unity-rate-coded (URC) cooperative MC STSK and investigate its performance in both coherent and noncoherent scenarios

Successive-relaying-aided decode-and-forward coherent versus noncoherent cooperative multicarrier space–time shift keying

Abstract—Successive-relaying-aided (SR) cooperative multi-carrier (MC) space–time shift keying (STSK) is proposed for frequency-selective channels. We invoke SR to mitigate the typical 50% throughput loss of conventional half-duplex relaying schemes and MC code-division multiple access (MC-CDMA) to circumvent the dispersive effects of wireless channels and to reduce the SR-induced interference. The distributed relay terminals form two virtual antenna arrays (VAAs), and the source node (SN) successively transmits frequency-domain (FD) spread signals to one of the VAAs, in addition to directly transmitting to the destination node (DN). The constituent relay nodes (RNs) of each VAA activate cyclic-redundancy-checking-based (CRC) selective decode-and-forward (DF) relaying. The DN can jointly detect the signals received via the SN-to-DN and VAA-to-DN links using a low-complexity single-stream-based joint maximum-likelihood (ML) detector. We also propose a differentially encoded cooperative MC-CDMA STSK scheme to facilitate communications over hostile dispersive channels without requiring channel estimation (CE). Dispensing with CE is important since the relays cannot be expected to altruistically estimate the SN-to-RN links for simply supporting the source. Furthermore, we propose soft-decision-aided serially concatenated recursive systematic convolutional (RSC) and unity-rate-coded (URC) cooperative MC STSK and investigate its performance in both coherent and noncoherent scenarios

Generalized space-time shift keying designed for flexible diversity-, multiplexing- and complexity-tradeoffs

In this paper, motivated by the recent concept of Spatial Modulation (SM), we propose a novel Generalized Space-Time Shift Keying (G-STSK) architecture, which acts as a unified Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) framework. More specifically, our G-STSK scheme is based on the rationale that P out of Q dispersion matrices are selected and linearly combined in conjunction with the classic PSK/QAM modulation, where activating P out of Q dispersion matrices provides an implicit means of conveying information bits in addition to the classic modem. Due to its substantial flexibility, our G-STSK framework includes diverse MIMO arrangements, such as SM, Space-Shift Keying (SSK), Linear Dispersion Codes (LDCs), Space-Time Block Codes (STBCs) and Bell Lab’s Layered Space-Time (BLAST) scheme. Hence it has the potential of subsuming all of them, when flexibly adapting a set of system parameters. Moreover, we also derive the Discrete-input Continuous-output Memoryless Channel (DCMC) capacity for our G-STSK scheme, which serves as the unified capacity limit, hence quantifying the capacity of the class of MIMO arrangements. Furthermore, EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) chart analysis is used for designing our G-STSK scheme and for characterizing its iterative decoding convergence