An iterative pilot-data-aided estimator for SFBC relay-assisted OFDM-based systems

In this article, we propose and assess an iterative pilot-data-aided channel estimation scheme for space frequency block coding relay-assisted OFDM-based systems. The relay node (RN) employs the equalise-and-forward protocol, and both the base station (BS) and the RN are equipped with antenna arrays, whereas the user terminal (UT) is a single-antenna device. The channel estimation method uses the information carried by pilots and data to improve the estimate of the equivalent channels for the path BS-RN-UT. The mean minimum square error criterion is used in the design of the estimator for both the pilot-based and data-aided iterations. In different scenarios, with only one data iteration, the results show that the proposed scheme requires only half of the pilot density to achieve the same performance of non-data-aided schemes

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

Dispensing with channel estimation: differentially modulated cooperative wireless communications

As a benefit of bypassing the potentially excessive complexity and yet inaccurate channel estimation, differentially encoded modulation in conjunction with low-complexity noncoherent detection constitutes a viable candidate for user-cooperative systems, where estimating all the links by the relays is unrealistic. In order to stimulate further research on differentially modulated cooperative systems, a number of fundamental challenges encountered in their practical implementations are addressed, including the time-variant-channel-induced performance erosion, flexible cooperative protocol designs, resource allocation as well as its high-spectral-efficiency transceiver design. Our investigations demonstrate the quantitative benefits of cooperative wireless networks both from a pure capacity perspective as well as from a practical system design perspective

Dispensing with Channel Estimation…

In this article, we investigate the feasibility of noncoherent detection schemes in wireless communication systems as a low-complexity alternative to the family of coherent schemes. The noncoherent schemes require no channel knowledge at the receiver for the detection of the received signal, while the coherent schemes require channel inherently complex estimation, which implies that pilot symbols have to be transmitted resulting in a wastage of the available bandwidth as well as the transmission power