Joint Unitary Triangularization for MIMO Networks

This work considers communication networks where individual links can be described as MIMO channels. Unlike orthogonal modulation methods (such as the singular-value decomposition), we allow interference between sub-channels, which can be removed by the receivers via successive cancellation. The degrees of freedom earned by this relaxation are used for obtaining a basis which is simultaneously good for more than one link. Specifically, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for shaping the ratio vector of sub-channel gains of two broadcast-channel receivers. We then apply this to two scenarios: First, in digital multicasting we present a practical capacity-achieving scheme which only uses scalar codes and linear processing. Then, we consider the joint source-channel problem of transmitting a Gaussian source over a two-user MIMO channel, where we show the existence of non-trivial cases, where the optimal distortion pair (which for high signal-to-noise ratios equals the optimal point-to-point distortions of the individual users) may be achieved by employing a hybrid digital-analog scheme over the induced equivalent channel. These scenarios demonstrate the advantage of choosing a modulation basis based upon multiple links in the network, thus we coin the approach "network modulation".Comment: Submitted to IEEE Tran. Signal Processing. Revised versio

Generalized feedback detection for spatial multiplexing multi-antenna systems

We present a unified detection framework for spatial multiplexing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems by generalizing Heller’s classical feedback decoding algorithm for convolutional codes. The resulting generalized feedback detector (GFD) is characterized by three parameters: window size, step size and branch factor. Many existing MIMO detectors are turned out to be special cases of the GFD. Moreover, different parameter choices can provide various performance-complexity tradeoffs. The connection between MIMO detectors and tree search algorithms is also established. To reduce redundant computations in the GFD, a shared computation technique is proposed by using a tree data structure. Using a union bound based analysis of the symbol error rates, the diversity order and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain are derived analytically as functions of the three parameters; for example, the diversity order of the GFD varies between 1 and N. The complexity of the GFD varies between those of the maximum-likelihood (ML) detector and the zero-forcing decision feedback detector (ZFDFD). Extensive computer simulation results are also provided

Integer-Forcing Linear Receivers

Linear receivers are often used to reduce the implementation complexity of multiple-antenna systems. In a traditional linear receiver architecture, the receive antennas are used to separate out the codewords sent by each transmit antenna, which can then be decoded individually. Although easy to implement, this approach can be highly suboptimal when the channel matrix is near singular. This paper develops a new linear receiver architecture that uses the receive antennas to create an effective channel matrix with integer-valued entries. Rather than attempting to recover transmitted codewords directly, the decoder recovers integer combinations of the codewords according to the entries of the effective channel matrix. The codewords are all generated using the same linear code which guarantees that these integer combinations are themselves codewords. Provided that the effective channel is full rank, these integer combinations can then be digitally solved for the original codewords. This paper focuses on the special case where there is no coding across transmit antennas and no channel state information at the transmitter(s), which corresponds either to a multi-user uplink scenario or to single-user V-BLAST encoding. In this setting, the proposed integer-forcing linear receiver significantly outperforms conventional linear architectures such as the zero-forcing and linear MMSE receiver. In the high SNR regime, the proposed receiver attains the optimal diversity-multiplexing tradeoff for the standard MIMO channel with no coding across transmit antennas. It is further shown that in an extended MIMO model with interference, the integer-forcing linear receiver achieves the optimal generalized degrees-of-freedom.Comment: 40 pages, 16 figures, to appear in the IEEE Transactions on Information Theor

Iterative decoding for MIMO channels via modified sphere decoding

In recent years, soft iterative decoding techniques have been shown to greatly improve the bit error rate performance of various communication systems. For multiantenna systems employing space-time codes, however, it is not clear what is the best way to obtain the soft information required of the iterative scheme with low complexity. In this paper, we propose a modification of the Fincke-Pohst (sphere decoding) algorithm to estimate the maximum a posteriori probability of the received symbol sequence. The new algorithm solves a nonlinear integer least squares problem and, over a wide range of rates and signal-to-noise ratios, has polynomial-time complexity. Performance of the algorithm, combined with convolutional, turbo, and low-density parity check codes, is demonstrated on several multiantenna channels. The results for systems that employ space-time modulation schemes seem to indicate that the best performing schemes are those that support the highest mutual information between the transmitted and received signals, rather than the best diversity gain

Two-tier channel estimation aided near-capacity MIMO transceivers relying on norm-based joint transmit and receive antenna selection

We propose a norm-based joint transmit and receive antenna selection (NBJTRAS) aided near-capacity multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system relying on the assistance of a novel two-tier channel estimation scheme. Specifically, a rough estimate of the full MIMO channel is first generated using a low-complexity, low-training-overhead minimum mean square error based channel estimator, which relies on reusing a modest number of radio frequency (RF) chains. NBJTRAS is then carried out based on this initial full MIMO channel estimate. The NBJTRAS aided MIMO system is capable of significantly outperforming conventional MIMO systems equipped with the same modest number of RF chains, while dispensing with the idealised simplifying assumption of having perfectly known channel state information (CSI). Moreover, the initial subset channel estimate associated with the selected subset MIMO channel matrix is then used for activating a powerful semi-blind joint channel estimation and turbo detector-decoder, in which the channel estimate is refined by a novel block-of-bits selection based soft-decision aided channel estimator (BBSB-SDACE) embedded in the iterative detection and decoding process. The joint channel estimation and turbo detection-decoding scheme operating with the aid of the proposed BBSB-SDACE channel estimator is capable of approaching the performance of the near-capacity maximumlikelihood (ML) turbo transceiver associated with perfect CSI. This is achieved without increasing the complexity of the ML turbo detection and decoding process

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

Multiuser MIMO-OFDM for Next-Generation Wireless Systems

This overview portrays the 40-year evolution of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) research. The amelioration of powerful multicarrier OFDM arrangements with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems has numerous benefits, which are detailed in this treatise. We continue by highlighting the limitations of conventional detection and channel estimation techniques designed for multiuser MIMO OFDM systems in the so-called rank-deficient scenarios, where the number of users supported or the number of transmit antennas employed exceeds the number of receiver antennas. This is often encountered in practice, unless we limit the number of users granted access in the base station’s or radio port’s coverage area. Following a historical perspective on the associated design problems and their state-of-the-art solutions, the second half of this treatise details a range of classic multiuser detectors (MUDs) designed for MIMO-OFDM systems and characterizes their achievable performance. A further section aims for identifying novel cutting-edge genetic algorithm (GA)-aided detector solutions, which have found numerous applications in wireless communications in recent years. In an effort to stimulate the cross pollination of ideas across the machine learning, optimization, signal processing, and wireless communications research communities, we will review the broadly applicable principles of various GA-assisted optimization techniques, which were recently proposed also for employment inmultiuser MIMO OFDM. In order to stimulate new research, we demonstrate that the family of GA-aided MUDs is capable of achieving a near-optimum performance at the cost of a significantly lower computational complexity than that imposed by their optimum maximum-likelihood (ML) MUD aided counterparts. The paper is concluded by outlining a range of future research options that may find their way into next-generation wireless systems