Distributed space-time coding including the golden code with application in cooperative networks

This thesis presents new methodologies to improve performance of wireless cooperative networks using the Golden Code. As a form of space-time coding, the Golden Code can achieve diversity-multiplexing tradeoff and the data rate can be twice that of the Alamouti code. In practice, however, asynchronism between relay nodes may reduce performance and channel quality can be degraded from certain antennas. Firstly, a simple offset transmission scheme, which employs full interference cancellation (FIC) and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), is enhanced through the use of four relay nodes and receiver processing to mitigate asynchronism. Then, the potential reduction in diversity gain due to the dependent channel matrix elements in the distributed Golden Code transmission, and the rate penalty of multihop transmission, are mitigated by relay selection based on two-way transmission. The Golden Code is also implemented in an asynchronous one-way relay network over frequency flat and selective channels, and a simple approach to overcome asynchronism is proposed. In one-way communication with computationally efficient sphere decoding, the maximum of the channel parameter means is shown to achieve the best performance for the relay selection through bit error rate simulations. Secondly, to reduce the cost of hardware when multiple antennas are available in a cooperative network, multi-antenna selection is exploited. In this context, maximum-sum transmit antenna selection is proposed. End-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is calculated and outage probability analysis is performed when the links are modelled as Rayleigh fading frequency flat channels. The numerical results support the analysis and for a MIMO system maximum-sum selection is shown to outperform maximum-minimum selection. Additionally, pairwise error probability (PEP) analysis is performed for maximum-sum transmit antenna selection with the Golden Code and the diversity order is obtained. Finally, with the assumption of fibre-connected multiple antennas with finite buffers, multiple-antenna selection is implemented on the basis of maximum-sum antenna selection. Frequency flat Rayleigh fading channels are assumed together with a decode and forward transmission scheme. Outage probability analysis is performed by exploiting the steady-state stationarity of a Markov Chain model

Diversity-Multiplexing Tradeoff of Asynchronous Cooperative Diversity in Wireless Networks

Synchronization of relay nodes is an important and critical issue in exploiting cooperative diversity in wireless networks. In this paper, two asynchronous cooperative diversity schemes are proposed, namely, distributed delay diversity and asynchronous space-time coded cooperative diversity schemes. In terms of the overall diversity-multiplexing (DM) tradeoff function, we show that the proposed independent coding based distributed delay diversity and asynchronous space-time coded cooperative diversity schemes achieve the same performance as the synchronous space-time coded approach which requires an accurate symbol-level timing synchronization to ensure signals arriving at the destination from different relay nodes are perfectly synchronized. This demonstrates diversity order is maintained even at the presence of asynchronism between relay node. Moreover, when all relay nodes succeed in decoding the source information, the asynchronous space-time coded approach is capable of achieving better DM-tradeoff than synchronous schemes and performs equivalently to transmitting information through a parallel fading channel as far as the DM-tradeoff is concerned. Our results suggest the benefits of fully exploiting the space-time degrees of freedom in multiple antenna systems by employing asynchronous space-time codes even in a frequency flat fading channel. In addition, it is shown asynchronous space-time coded systems are able to achieve higher mutual information than synchronous space-time coded systems for any finite signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) when properly selected baseband waveforms are employed

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

Distributed space-time block coding in cooperative relay networks with application in cognitive radio

Spatial diversity is an effective technique to combat the effects of severe fading in wireless environments. Recently, cooperative communications has emerged as an attractive communications paradigm that can introduce a new form of spatial diversity which is known as cooperative diversity, that can enhance system reliability without sacrificing the scarce bandwidth resource or consuming more transmit power. It enables single-antenna terminals in a wireless relay network to share their antennas to form a virtual antenna array on the basis of their distributed locations. As such, the same diversity gains as in multi-input multi-output systems can be achieved without requiring multiple-antenna terminals. In this thesis, a new approach to cooperative communications via distributed extended orthogonal space-time block coding (D-EO-STBC) based on limited partial feedback is proposed for cooperative relay networks with three and four relay nodes and then generalized for an arbitrary number of relay nodes. This scheme can achieve full cooperative diversity and full transmission rate in addition to array gain, and it has certain properties that make it alluring for practical systems such as orthogonality, flexibility, low computational complexity and decoding delay, and high robustness to node failure. Versions of the closed-loop D-EO-STBC scheme based on cooperative orthogonal frequency division multiplexing type transmission are also proposed for both flat and frequency-selective fading channels which can overcome imperfect synchronization in the network. As such, this proposed technique can effectively cope with the effects of fading and timing errors. Moreover, to increase the end-to-end data rate, this scheme is extended for two-way relay networks through a three-time slot framework. On the other hand, to substantially reduce the feedback channel overhead, limited feedback approaches based on parameter quantization are proposed. In particular, an optimal one-bit partial feedback approach is proposed for the generalized D-O-STBC scheme to maximize the array gain. To further enhance the end-to-end bit error rate performance of the cooperative relay system, a relay selection scheme based on D-EO-STBC is then proposed. Finally, to highlight the utility of the proposed D-EO-STBC scheme, an application to cognitive radio is studied

Distributed space time block coding and application in cooperative cognitive relay networks

The design and analysis of various distributed space time block coding schemes for cooperative relay networks is considered in this thesis. Rayleigh frequency flat and selective fading channels are assumed to model the links in the networks, and interference suppression techniques together with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) type transmission approach are employed to mitigate synchronization errors at the destination node induced by the different delays through the relay nodes. Closed-loop space time block coding is first considered in the context of decode-and-forward (regenerative) networks. In particular, quasi orthogonal and extended orthogonal coding techniques are employed for transmission from four relay nodes and parallel interference cancellation detection is exploited to mitigate synchronization errors. Availability of a direct link between the source and destination nodes is studied. Outer coding is then added to gain further improvement in end-to-end performance and amplify-and-forward (non regenerative) type networks together with distributed space time coding are considered to reduce relay node complexity. A novel detection scheme is then proposed for decode-and-forward and amplify-and-forward networks with closed-loop extended orthogonal coding and closed-loop quasi-orthogonal coding which reduce the computational complexity of the parallel interference cancellation. The near-optimum detector is presented for relay nodes with single or dual antennas. End-to-end bit error rate simulations confirm the potential of the approach and its ability to mitigate synchronization errors